NGT Orders Key Officials to Appear in Illegal Tree Felling Case in Uttarakhand

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the top officials of Uttarakhand's Pollution Control Board and state forests department to appear before it in a case relating to illegal felling of 176 trees in Udham Singh Nagar district. The case relates to illegal felling of trees while developing a residential colony at Chandpur village, which had raised environmental issues.

On February 24, the NGT bench of judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel directed after considering a report submitted by a joint committee. The committee, which was established to probe illegal felling, had members from the district magistrate's office, the office of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Dehradun region, and the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB). According to the committee report, 176 trees were unlawfully cut during the construction of a private housing colony in Chandpur village, a problem that has resulted in environmental degradation.

As part of its report, the joint committee noted that environmental compensation needs to be recovered for illegal deforestation that had taken place. The NGT has also called the Uttarakhand chief secretary, UKPCB's member secretary, and the PCCF of the state to court with a view to helping adjudicate the case.

The directive has specifically mentioned in the tribunal that physical or video-conference presence of the member secretary of UKPCB and PCCF is required to put the information before the judicial forum and adjudication. The officers have been requested to bring the necessary documents and records for the case.

This issue is of major concern in the context of rising environmental issues owing to unauthorized felling of trees, especially in ecologically sensitive areas such as Uttarakhand. Construction of residential colonies within forests or on environmentally rich land can result in deforestation, which has long-term impacts on local biodiversity, soil health, and water sources.

The case would again be heard on April 7, wherein the NGT would study the case progress and issue further directions based on feedback from the relevant authorities. The tribunal is following the developments keenly until now and is taking all requisite action to handle the illegal felling of the trees and destruction to the environment as well as not to suffer any future destruction.

This case shows the significance of regulatory authorities such as the NGT, the Pollution Control Board, and the forest department in ensuring ecological balance and keeping development projects under environmental norms. The tribunal's instruction for the senior officials' presence emphasizes the importance of accountability and transparency in redressing such environmental violations.

The problem also questions the overall environmental problems of India, with industrialization and urbanization having a tendency to be at odds with the necessity for sustainable environmental practices. It is a reminder of the need for strict monitoring and enforcement of environmental laws in a bid to safeguard the natural resources of the country.

Before the case in Udham Singh Nagar comes up, the active role taken by the NGT in making people accountable and claiming compensation for tree loss can act as an effective deterrent to other illegal deforestation campaigns in the country.

The next hearing of the NGT in April will clarify what measures will be followed in this matter, such as fines, compensation, and remedial measures that will be adopted to counteract the damage caused to the environment due to illegal tree felling.

Source: NTPC Ltd, March 1, 2025