New Delhi, May 22 -- The Supreme Court has ruled that Zudpi Jungle land in Maharashtra can be considered for compensatory afforestation only if there is a specific certification by the Chief Secretary of the state regarding the non-availability of non-forest land.
A bench, comprising Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih, issued the judgment, while hearing a batch of applications concerning the legal status and usage of Zudpi Jungle lands in six districts of Eastern Vidarbha - Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli.
The State of Maharashtra had approached the court, submitting that while Zudpi Jungle lands are recorded in revenue documents as forest lands, historically, these parcels have...