In Brief
The Divisional Forest Officer challenged a High Court order that allowed construction of sheds in a reserved forest area without environmental clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The Supreme Court held that all land recorded as 'forest' in Government records—regardless of ownership or lease status—requires a 'No Objection Certificate' from the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change before any construction. The Court set aside the High Court's direction and instead ordered the respondents to obtain the requisite statutory clearance before proceeding with construction activities."
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