The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has suspended two public hearings scheduled for June 2 on proposals to fell nearly 200 trees in Nagpur, after concerns were raised over holding the proceedings during the peak of an intense heatwave. Justice Raj Wakode passed the order while hearing an urgent public interest litigation (PIL) filed by environmental activists Anasuya Kale-Chhabrani and Sachin Khobragade through Advocate Krishna Agrawal. The court has now posted the matter for further hearing on June 8.

 

The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) had scheduled the public hearings for June 2 at 12.30 pm and 1 pm regarding applications seeking permission to cut trees for the Orange City Street and Sahakar Nagar ghat projects. The proposals involve the felling of 199 trees, including 25 heritage trees. The petitioners argued that the hearings were being held at a time when Nagpur is experiencing severe heatwave conditions. According to the PIL, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast temperatures of around 44 degrees Celsius on June 2 and has advised citizens to avoid stepping out between noon and 3 pm. The activists questioned how nearly 400 citizens, including senior citizens and environmental groups, could be expected to attend public hearings during the hottest part of the day. The petition pointed out that more than 280 written objections had already been submitted against the tree-felling proposals which indicated strong public interest in the matter.

 

The PIL stated that conducting the hearings during peak afternoon hours would effectively deny many residents an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process. It also referred to recent heatwave alerts issued across Vidarbha and argued that forcing people to gather during extreme temperatures could put their health at risk. Apart from the issue of timing, the petition raised concerns about the functioning of the Tree Authority, alleging that it had not been properly constituted under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975. The petitioners further claimed that the public notices did not provide complete details regarding the trees proposed to be cut, alternative plans, or compensatory plantation measures. Considering the urgency of the matter and the prevailing weather conditions, the court suspended the June 2 hearings. The issue will now come up for further consideration on June 8, when the court is expected to hear all parties before deciding the future course of action.