NEW DELHI
232 persons are cultivating the forest area with temporary residence while 2,767 persons who occupy 2,867.70 hectares land are residing outside the forest boundary and are managing silk cotton cultivation, according to Tamil Nadu’s own affidavit.
The court had ordered the preparation of a division-wise eviction plan, removal of encroachments, and action against identified government servants. The process of adjudication of the claims would be concluded within a period of five months from the date of constitution of the gram sabhas. The Supreme Court directed the CEC to furnish an opinion regarding the government’s view that silk cotton was a ‘minor forest produce’. This is significant for the biosphere.
The order was passed in furtherance of a May 2026 judgment, which had issued various directions for a structured and time-bound process of eviction, rehabilitation and ecological restoration in the forest areas. Noting that so far only around 40 gram sabhas had become functional to commence the process of inviting claims, the government gave a last opportunity of 30 days to the State government to complete the formation of the remaining gram sabhas. Presently, 3,637.83.2 hectares of the 5,072.64.3 hectares of forest land is under silk cotton cultivation. Separately, the court directed the CEC to examine the National Highway Authority of India’s proposal relating to NH-744, including the proposed Puliara–Edamon tunnel section, which requires permission for diversion of a limited extent of reserved forest land in the biosphere.
Justice Mehta, who authored the order, held the State government “primarily responsible” for delaying the receipt of claims under the 2006 Act. Giving a prima facie view against the State’s claim of historical cultivation of silk cotton, the court said “what emerges from the government affidavits is the promotion and sponsored cultivation of silk cotton as a commercial crop”.
