No illegallity has been detected in granting permission for erecting windmills in the eco-sensitive zone of Rampara sanctuary in Gujarat’s Morbi district, according to the joint committee report filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on June 19, 2026.
Some residents of Wankaner in Morbi district had filed a petition stating that the numerous windmills erected within the Rampara eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) have been set up without due permission from concerned authorities.
The petitioners also stated that the windmills around the sanctuary and the subsequent power lines are disturbing wildlife, causing more and more wildlife to move toward Wankaner city and nearby rural areas. Power generation and related activities have started within the 1-10 km zone from the sanctuary. The necessary environmental clearances for starting the projects, as well as clearances from the wildlife board, have not been obtained from the competent authority. In addition, the application stated that illegal mining is taking place near the sanctuary.
Joint committee members and other officials visited a sample of two windmills (out of the 10 functional windmills) to observe for the ground situation. They found that operational approach roads exist to the windmills, which are necessary for operations and day-to-day maintenance.
The company was found to have installed plenty of bird reflectors on the overhead transmission cables. There were distinct orange reflector bands on the pole as well as the rotor blades of the wind turbines. Also, bird spikes were installed at the transformer point and other possible landing points to avoid or prevent birds from coming into contact with live wires. Some wires at the transformer have been insulated and brightly coloured to prevent bird electrocution.
The rotational velocity of the windmills and the height at which the blades are positioned make it unlikely for peafowl and other birds to be fatally hit by accidental collision. The joint committee submitted that based on the facts, it is very clear that not a single windmill has been installed inside the Rampara wildlife sanctuary.
The allegation of the petitioners that the windmills were installed by breaking up land, blasting and massive tree cutting was verified for actual fact during the site visit. It was observed that windmills being tall structures, require transport to the hill tops where wind can be harvested for installation. So, the approach road was made according to the bare minimum requirement. The construction happened according to the approved technical design of Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) and was verified by the Chief Electrical Inspector, Gandhinagar.
Thus, the allegation of blasting/illegal mining during construction of the structure was not backed by credible proof from the petitioner, nor was it reflected during the committee’s site visit.
Above the rank of Assistant Conservator of Forests, no other higher-ranking officer in the Uttarakhand forest service has been deputed for census. The exercise of Phase-I, Census 2027 has been completed on May 24, 2026. All the concerned forest officials place in various forest divisions are engaged in forest fire control and mitigation works at the field level.
Specific instructions have been given on May 21, 2026, that only office level employees/staff shall be relieved for the census works. Those field staff presently engaged in forest fire prevention and control will not be relieved for any other activities including census works, stated the submission by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF), Dehradun on May 27, 2026.
PCCF (HoFF), Dehradun was directed by the NGT on May 13, 2026, to file a response giving information regarding total number of officers and officials in the actual working strength of the forest department, number of officers and officials deputed for census duty, number of officers and officials retained for essential forest duties and contingent forest fire management plan for deputing the concerned officers and officials in case of emergency.
The dhalao (garbage collection point) in the vicinity of a school in Delhi’s Anand Vihar is not being properly managed according to the report submitted by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on June 10, 2026.
DPCC officials conducted a site visit on April 17, 2026, and observed that the site in question was being used as an open dumping and solid waste storage containers are placed there. Solid waste was found scattered in the open, causing foul smell and unhygienic conditions.