Construction work at Madku island to be done by monsoon, HC told
Chhattisgarh High Court
is actively monitoring the development initiatives at Madku Dweep, a place of significant local importance. During a recent hearing, conducted via video conferencing for the suo moto Public Interest Litigation, the court reviewed the progress made based on affidavits submitted by key district officials of Mungeli.The collector of Mungeli, in his affidavit dated March 24, 2025, informed the court about the administrative sanction of Rs 45.44 lakh for crucial
infrastructure upgrades
at Madku Dweep.
These developmental works include the construction of stairs (locally known as 'Pachri') at Navghat, near the riverbank, which will improve accessibility to the area.Additionally, the sanctioned projects encompass the construction of a retaining wall and necessary patching work to ensure the stability and longevity of existing structures. To enhance connectivity for tourists and locals alike, a concrete (CC) road is also under construction, linking the main tourist area to the forest information centre.The collector assured the court that the rural engineering services, Pathariya, the agency responsible for these projects, commenced work and is committed to completing it before the onset of the rainy season.
Photographic evidence of the ongoing construction was also presented to the court. Emphasising the district administration's dedication, the collector said their efforts are directed towards developing Shri Hariher Kshetra Madku Dweep as a vital tourist attraction.Further underscoring the improvements, the divisional forest officer (DFO), Mungeli, in his affidavit dated March 25, 2025, addressed the crucial aspect of sanitation facilities at the Madku Dweep mela site. He informed the court that three sets of toilets, constructed in 2018 with funding from the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board, were formally handed over to the Gram Panchayat Madku on March 19, 2025. This handover, facilitated by the forest range officer Pathariya, aims to ensure the proper maintenance and upkeep of these essential amenities for visitors.The DFO's report also detailed the involvement of a local women's self-help group, Jay Satnam Mahila Self-help Group, which expressed interest in managing the toilets, indicating a community-led approach to maintaining the facilities.Upon perusal of these affidavits, the High Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Arvind Kumar Verma, acknowledged the visible progress and noted that the situation at Madku Dweep appeared considerably better than before. Recognising the ongoing need for oversight, the court has scheduled the next hearing for July 1. Both the collector and the DFO of Mungeli have been directed to submit updated affidavits before this date, detailing the further advancements in the maintenance of Madku Dweep.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
India planted 1.78 lakh hectares under CAMPA in 2019-2023; gaps in fund use: Report
NEW DELHI: India raised 1,78,261 hectares of compensatory afforestation against a target of 2,09,297 hectares between 2019-20 and 2023-24, achieving 85 per cent of the planned area, the Supreme Court-mandated Central Empowered Committee has said in a report. The report filed earlier this month revealed that utilisation of funds under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) varies sharply across states. According to the report, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh recorded full achievement of their targets. Madhya Pradesh planted 21,746.82 hectares, fully achieving its target of 21,107.68 hectares. Karnataka also met nearly its entire target, covering 2,761.26 hectares against 2,775.12 hectares. Arunachal Pradesh planted 20,719.46 hectares against 21,478.03 hectares, achieving 96.6 per cent. Uttar Pradesh reported 96.4 per cent achievement, planting 5,877.16 hectares against 6,096.7 hectares. Assam covered 1,149.64 hectares against 1,191.82 hectares, achieving 93.8 per cent. Sikkim planted 609.52 hectares, achieving 92.3 per cent, while Punjab achieved 4,019.72 hectares against 4,471.94 hectares, about 89.9 per cent. In contrast, Meghalaya had one of the lowest coverage, achieving only 114.56 hectares against a target of 514.76 hectares or 22.3 per cent. Manipur planted 666.94 hectares against 1,759.84 hectares, achieving 37.9 per cent. Kerala covered 171.80 hectares against 433.06 hectares, achieving 39.7 per cent. West Bengal achieved only 748.25 hectares against 1,911.74 hectares, about 39.2 per cent. Tamil Nadu planted 84.76 hectares against 262.39 hectares, achieving 32.3 per cent. Andhra Pradesh reported 3,471.88 hectares against 8,663.46 hectares, covering only 40.1 per cent. The report also reviewed the use of CAMPA funds during this period. National CAMPA approved Rs 38,516 crore for state annual plans between 2019-20 and 2023-24. States released Rs 29,311 crore to their forest departments, of which Rs 26,001 crore was utilised. This means only 67.5 per cent of the approved outlay was spent. Utilisation varied widely, with Manipur, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh utilising 100 per cent, 100 per cent and 97.8 per cent of the funds released to them, respectively. Mizoram reported utilisation above 91 per cent, Sikkim 97.7 per cent, Karnataka 96.6 per cent and Odisha 87.9 per cent. Chhattisgarh recorded 95 per cent utilisation of the funds released, and Gujarat spent more than it released, utilising 116 per cent due to carryover balances.
Scroll.in
2 hours ago
- Scroll.in
RPSC AAE applications begins for 281 posts; here's apply link
The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) has opened the online application window for recruitment to the posts of Assistant Agriculture Engineer - 2025 (Advt. 03/2025-26). Eligible candidates can register for the posts at or till August 26, 2025. The recruitment drive aims to fill 281 AAE posts. Applicants can check the eligibility criteria, age limit, pay scale, and other details available in the notification below: Assistant Agriculture Engineer - 2025 (Advt. 03/2025-26) notification. Application Fee Candidates from General/Unreserved categories will have to pay an examination fee of Rs 600 while SC/ST/OBC/PwBD and other reserved category candidates will pay Rs 400 at the time of application. Steps to register for AEE posts 2025
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
India planted 178K hectares in 2019-2023; gaps in fund use: Report
India raised 1,78,261 hectares of compensatory afforestation against a target of 2,09,297 hectares between 2019-20 and 2023-24, achieving 85 per cent of the planned area, the Supreme Court-mandated Central Empowered Committee has said in a report. The report filed earlier this month revealed that utilisation of funds under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) varies sharply across states. According to the report, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Mizoram and Madhya Pradesh recorded full achievement of their targets. Madhya Pradesh planted 21,746.82 hectares, fully achieving its target of 21,107.68 hectares. Karnataka also met nearly its entire target, covering 2,761.26 hectares against 2,775.12 hectares. Arunachal Pradesh planted 20,719.46 hectares against 21,478.03 hectares, achieving 96.6 per cent. Uttar Pradesh reported 96.4 per cent achievement, planting 5,877.16 hectares against 6,096.7 hectares. Assam covered 1,149.64 hectares against 1,191.82 hectares, achieving 93.8 per cent. Sikkim planted 609.52 hectares, achieving 92.3 per cent, while Punjab achieved 4,019.72 hectares against 4,471.94 hectares, about 89.9 per cent. In contrast, Meghalaya had one of the lowest coverage, achieving only 114.56 hectares against a target of 514.76 hectares or 22.3 per cent. Manipur planted 666.94 hectares against 1,759.84 hectares, achieving 37.9 per cent. Kerala covered 171.80 hectares against 433.06 hectares, achieving 39.7 per cent. West Bengal achieved only 748.25 hectares against 1,911.74 hectares, about 39.2 per cent. Tamil Nadu planted 84.76 hectares against 262.39 hectares, achieving 32.3 per cent. Andhra Pradesh reported 3,471.88 hectares against 8,663.46 hectares, covering only 40.1 per cent. The report also reviewed the use of CAMPA funds during this period. National CAMPA approved Rs 38,516 crore for state annual plans between 2019-20 and 2023-24. States released Rs 29,311 crore to their forest departments, of which Rs 26,001 crore was utilised. This means only 67.5 per cent of the approved outlay was spent. Utilisation varied widely, with Manipur, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh utilising 100 per cent, 100 per cent and 97.8 per cent of the funds released to them, respectively. Mizoram reported utilisation above 91 per cent, Sikkim 97.7 per cent, Karnataka 96.6 per cent and Odisha 87.9 per cent. Chhattisgarh recorded 95 per cent utilisation of the funds released, and Gujarat spent more than it released, utilising 116 per cent due to carryover balances. Several states lagged behind. Tamil Nadu used only 67.9 per cent of the funds released, while Jammu and Kashmir spent 62.5 per cent. Haryana also underperformed, using 57.4 per cent. West Bengal spent 81.1 per cent and Delhi just 26.9 per cent, the lowest among all states. Telangana reported 60.4 per cent utilisation, and Andaman & Nicobar Islands spent 53.1 per cent of the released funds. The CEC said that "delays in submission of annual plans by states, late release of funds, and the lack of dedicated CAMPA offices affect seasonal forestry operations". Monitoring of survival rates remains weak, and multiple layers in the fund release process contribute to underutilisation, it said. Despite these shortcomings, it said progress under the statutory framework has been "significant" given initial difficulties, including disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. With thousands of hectares of natural forests lost each year to development projects, the report warns that gaps in plantation survival and underutilisation of funds undermine the very purpose of the CAMPA mechanism. The compensatory afforestation regime originated from a series of orders in the landmark TN Godavarman Thirumulpad vs Union of India case of 1995. In these orders, the Supreme Court mandated that when forest land is diverted for non-forest purposes, user agencies must provide funds to compensate for the loss through afforestation on non-forest land or degraded forest land. To formalise and regulate the management of these funds, Parliament enacted the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016. The Act established the National and State CAMPA to manage the money collected from user agencies. The CAF Rules, 2018, provided the framework for how these funds should be used. The Act and Rules specify that the money transferred to states and union territories can only be used for afforestation, regeneration of degraded forests, wildlife protection and other activities aimed at ecological restoration.
