Brajesh Kumar Bharadwaj vs State of Madhya Pradesh

This Original Application has been registered on the basis of the letter petition sent through email by one Brajesh Kumar Bharadwaj resident of Chhindwara raising the grievance against the expansion of non-functional Panchmarhi airstrip from 1200m to 1800m. The plea of the Applicant is that the airport is located near the protected boundary of the Satpura Tiger Reserve falling in the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) i.e.Panchmarhi Hills in Narmadapuram District of Madhya Pradesh and inside the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Panchmarhi.

As per stand of the Applicant,Panchmarhi is listed in Annexure II of the Notification at Sr. No. 79 as the area falling within ESZ of Tiger Reserve. According to the Applicant the project is in violation of the provisions of ESZ notification and the decision to allow such project will be disastrous to the long term survival of Tiger a Keystone species and the ecosystem.

The perusal of the letter petition and enclosurestherewith reveal that the petition raises substantial issue relating to compliance of the environmental norms.

Hence at this stage, we deem it proper to implead the following as Respondents in this original application:-

(i) Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change through the Secretary.

(ii) Airport Authority of India through the Director General.

(iii) District Magistrate, Narmadapuram.

Let notice be issued to abovesaid Respondents to enable them to file their response atleast one week before the next date of Hearing.

Since  the  issue  is  relating  to  the  Central  Zone  Bench  of  this Tribunal, therefore, the original application is transferred to the Central Zone Bench at Bhopal for appropriate further action in the matter. The Registry is directed to transfer the record of this matter to the Central Zone Bench at Bhopal.

List the matter on 16.02.2024 before the Central Zone Bench at Bhopal.