Reduce tree felling by cutting paper use in courts: NGT

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 7

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asserted that there was undoubtedly a need to reduce the felling of trees by cutting down on the use of paper in courts. But the NGT, at the same time, left it on voluntary initiatives and awareness on the part of the users.

“While there is undoubted need for reducing felling of trees by reducing the use of paper, such result has to be achieved by voluntary initiatives and awareness on the part of users,” NGT’s Principal Bench at New Delhi asserted.

The matter was brought to the NGT’s notice after a former District and Sessions Judge MM Dhonchak moved a “letter petition” against the Registrars of all the courts across the country for protecting forests and environment by saving paper in courts.

Among other things, Dhonchak suggested printing on both sides of the page to reduce wastage.

Now practising as an advocate, Dhonchak added only one side of the paper was being used almost at every level in the judiciary, leading to “colossal wastage” behind which there was absolutely no logic. The “rampant wastage somewhere hints at colonial mindset and it is high time the judiciary should shed it at once like a hot potato”, he added.

Dhonchak argued even if it was assumed for a while that some inconvenience would be caused in using both sides of the paper, the hassle was negligible compared to the end achieved in terms of saving trees. Describing green spaces as the lungs of a country, Dhonchak submitted these were even otherwise being eaten up by commercial and infrastructural developments and a direction by the NGT could save crores of trees.

Taking up the matter through videoconferencing, the NGT Bench of chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and expert member Dr Nagin Nanda observed the applicant was seeking a direction to stop unnecessary wastage of paper to prevent the felling of trees. It was stated that one side of the paper was being used in judiciary only resulting in unnecessary wastage of paper. “Such a reform cannot be expected by way of judicial order of this tribunal. The application is accordingly disposed of,” the Bench asserted.

Colonial mindset

A former District and Sessions Judge MM Dhonchak said only one side of the paper was being used almost at every level in the judiciary, leading to “colossal wastage” behind which there was absolutely no logic. The “rampant wastage somewhere hints at colonial mindset and it is high time the judiciary should shed it at once like a hot potato”, he added.