Expedite NOC after students protest for road to school: Allahabad HC to U.P. Forest department

The Allahabad High Court has instructed the Uttar Pradesh Forest department to swiftly grant a no objection certificate (NOC) for the construction of a 1.6-kilometre road leading to a school in Hamirpur district. The directive came during a hearing on Monday, August 24, 2026, in response to a suo motu plea triggered by a news report from August 12.

This report detailed student protests in Hamirpur over the lack of a proper road to their school, causing considerable inconvenience. The state government argued that the 1.6-kilometre road, which cuts through forest land, had received administrative clearance in 2015 but was abandoned due to the absence of the necessary Forest department NOC.

The government further informed that an estimate for the project was issued on March 23, 2026, and ₹1.81 crore was sanctioned on August 21 for road construction. The terrain necessitates the use of a cement road, and officials are working to make the stretch passable temporarily until the required clearance is obtained. However, maintaining the temporary road has been challenging due to the area's terrain and the heavy monsoon rains this season.

Officials are finding it difficult to keep the temporary route usable for extended periods. The High Court expects the Forest department to process the NOC "with expedition" rather than at the usual pace. The court also noted that the permission falls under Central laws, leading to the addition of the Union of India, through the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Divisional Forest Officer, Hamirpur Forest Division, as additional respondents. The matter will be heard again on September 28.