Judgement

ORDER :- An application has been filed by the Ministry of Environment and Forest. The same is taken on Board. Issue notice to the Amicus Curiae.

2. The Amicus Curiae accepts notice and waives filing any response and, in fact, he submits that the application should be allowed as prayed for.

3. In this application it is mentioned that the officers of the Ministry of Environment and Forest have detected and detained 66 wagons at Nangloi railway station and 28 wagons at Rajpur Railway Station have similarly been detained, containing illegal timber.

4. This Court, by its judgment in 1637 T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India, (1997) 2 SCC 267 : (1997 AIR SCW 1263 : AIR 1997 SC 1228) had issued various directions in an effort to preserve and maintain the forest cover. A High Power Committee had been established but there was no authority, other than the said High Power Committee, who could take action in the manner which has been done in the present case by the applicant of the detention of the said wagons. Action has been taken, in the present case, according to the Solicitor General under para 35 of this Courts order dated 15th January, 1998 whereby Ministry of Environmen