Why in news?

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the forest officials of Uttarakhand that it would direct the Union government to form a committee to initiate an investigation into “illegal tree cutting” in Jim Corbett National Park.

Highlights

• The NGT’s move came after it had taken cognisance of report on the felling of trees in the Corbett Tiger Reserve
• The report had quoted a Forest Survey of India (FSI) report stating trees were illegally cut to pave the way for the Pakhro tiger safari project at the tiger reserve

Jim Corbett National Park

• It is a national park in India located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand state.
• The first national park in India, it was established in 1936 during the British Raj and named Hailey National Park
• It was the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative.
• The park has sub-Himalayan belt geographical and ecological characteristics. Dense moist deciduous forest mainly consists of sal, haldu, peepal, rohini and mango trees.
• It encompasses the Patli Dun valley formed by the Ramganga river.