ORDER

1. Heard Mr. Prakash Pandey, learned Counsel appearing (in Virtual Mode) for the Applicant.

2. This Original Application has been filed by the Applicant, seeking quashing of the Notification dated 29.08.2023 issued by the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of Bihar.

3. It is stated that since prior to the said notification there were 2272 Saw Mill Units, 279 Veneer Units and 142 Plywood industries existing in the State of Bihar but by the impugned notification the number of Saw Mills has increased to 3200 Units and Composite Units to 450 Units.

4. The allegation is that as per the Forest Report no significant increase has been recorded in the forest cover in as much as, as per the India State Forest Report of 2019, forest cover was 7.76% and in 2021 it was 7.84, which is an increase of 0.08% whereas the number of saw mills has been increased upto 50%. It is stated that as per the report of the Forest Survey of India, the State of Bihar has a geographical forest cover area of 7.23%.

5. It is apprehended that with installation of new advanced machinery, consumption of existing Units will go up by four times with respect to the forest cover of 7.84% in B