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NGT issues notice to Delhi govt on forest encroachment in Najafgarh

Jan 07, 2025 05:30 AM IST

The NGT has issued a notice to Delhi's government over alleged misuse of 31 hectares of forest land in Najafgarh, with encroachments reported.

New Delhi

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by resident Kishori Lal, who alleged that a 125 bigha (around 31 hectares) tract of gram sabha land in Najafgarh’s Kharkhari Jatmal was allotted to the forest department in 2005 for afforestation. (Representative photo/HT Archive)
The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by resident Kishori Lal, who alleged that a 125 bigha (around 31 hectares) tract of gram sabha land in Najafgarh’s Kharkhari Jatmal was allotted to the forest department in 2005 for afforestation. (Representative photo/HT Archive)

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued a notice to the Delhi government and the state forest department over alleged “misuse” of around 31 hectares of forest land earmarked for afforestation in Najafgarh, southwest Delhi.

“The applicant in the original application has given the details of unauthorised and illegal activities in the said forest area. It says half of this land is illegally cultivated by land mafias and despite repeated complaints, forest department has failed to remove the encroachment,” a bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava said in its order dated January 2, seeking details of the action taken.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by resident Kishori Lal, who alleged that a 125 bigha (around 31 hectares) tract of gram sabha land in Najafgarh’s Kharkhari Jatmal was allotted to the forest department in 2005 for afforestation. But, not only has afforestation not occurred in the area, the land is being misused and encroached on. Further, illegal extraction of groundwater is also taking place, the plea said.

The plea said that while the plantation was undertaken in 2018, none of the trees survived. “Issue notice to the respondents for filing their response/reply by way of affidavit before the Tribunal at least one week before the next date of hearing through e-filing,” the bench said, scheduling the next hearing for April 22.

In an older plea filed dating to 2015, a Delhi resident Sonya Ghosh alleged large parts of the southern ridge were encroached, on which the tribunal in 2017 ordered the removal of encroachments. In April 2024, Delhi’s forest and wildlife department informed NGT that they identified encroachments on 398.6 hectares in the southern ridge, and they cleared around 91 hectares.

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