Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Y G Khobragade has ordered the Central Government to submit an affidavit detailing the actions taken against Avaada Group's Fermi and JBM Solar Company for setting up a solar power project in the restricted area of Gautala Wildlife Sanctuary.
Earlier, the district collector of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar was instructed by the bench to submit an investigation report in a sealed envelope. The report submitted by the district collector stated that it is mentioned that the villages Shivapur and Bodhare were included in the sanctuary in 1986. The solar power project is spread on 1070 acres of land.
Kishore Sonawane has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Aurangabad Bench requesting the closure of the power project and the return of the land to the government. Earlier, the affidavit submitted by the Central Government underlined that the companies should have obtained wildlife, forestry, and environmental approvals for the project and then start generating power.
Adv Bhushan Mahajan representing the petitioner, brought it to the court's attention that the companies had not even applied for these approvals. Following the hearing, the bench issued the aforementioned order.