In Brief
The Supreme Court allowed appeals by the State of Uttar Pradesh and provisional license holders against the National Green Tribunal's decision to quash notices granting licenses to 1,215 newly established wood-based industries. The NGT had found insufficient timber availability in the state. However, the Supreme Court accepted the Forest Survey of India's scientific assessment of 77.74 lakh cubic meters of annual timber availability from Trees Outside Forest, finding it sufficient for the industries' requirements of 12.35 lakh cubic meters per year. The Court held the NGT erred in excluding prohibited tree species from availability calculations and violated natural justice by not hearing license holders. While upholding the licenses, the Court directed strict compliance with environmental conditions, including replanting 10 trees for every tree felled.
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