High Court halts Govt's new development project at Loktak lake

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Aug 19: Division Bench, of High Court of Manipur (comprising of Chief Justice Ramalingam Sudhakar and Justice Kh Nobin) passed an order on August 7, prohibiting the State Government from taking up any new project or development programs concerning Loktak Lake without permission from the Court.
The order was passed in connection with a PIL taken up by the High Court on its own, for the preservation of Loktak Lake.
The Court prohibited any of the State Government Departments, even the Manipur State Wetlands Authority, from taking up any projects without due approval from the Court.
The Court also directed all the stake holders, including Department of Forest and Environment, Water Resource Department and the Manipur State Wetland Authority to file affidavit mentioning all the actions taken up by them and the progress so far.
The Court instructed the Manipur State Wetland Authorities and the Loktak Development Authority to file affidavit showing the details as to how the necessary funds have been utilized by them and fixed September 18  for the necessary hearing.
During the proceeding, the Advocate General stated that he had not received any copy of an order passed by the Court on August 17 in connection with the PIL for preservation of Loktak Lake and as such, the Court instructed three copies of the order to be given to the Advocate General.
It may be mentioned that on July 17, the High Court of Manipur took up the PIL  as a suo moto case on the basis of a letter send by the Registry, Supreme Court, on April 7, 2017 (which was sent to all the High Courts of the country).