Today, On 16th May, Calling it a “glaring issue,” the Supreme Court ordered all states and UTs to transfer notified forest land, still held by revenue departments, back to forest departments within one year to protect forest rights.
![[Judiciary & Climate Change] "States Not Using Huge Funds Allotted By Centre For Afforestation": Justice BV Nagarathna](https://i0.wp.com/lawchakra.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/image-130.png?resize=447%2C367&ssl=1)
Supreme Court judge Justice BV Nagarathna bemoaned that funds supplied by the Centre to States for compensatory afforestation were not being utilised by State governments. The judge highlighted that out of the total Rs 57,325 crores of compensatory afforestation funds received and transferred to States, nearly Rs 38,698 crores remained unutilised. She added that the judiciary must be alive to the legal questions bought about by climate change and must live up to the challenge by creative interpretation of laws.
