NGT issues notice to forest dept on illegal bridge in southern Ridge

The NGT has issued a notice over illegal construction on forest land in Delhi, following a plea regarding unauthorized bridge construction.

New Delhi

A view of the southern Ridge. (HT Archive)

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notice to the state forest department and other agencies concerned over alleged illegal construction and encroachment of notified forest land in the southern Ridge.

Delhi resident Kiran Pal, in a plea filed with the tribunal, flagged illegal construction of a bridge, without mandatory statutory permissions, in Bhati Khurd area. The applicant also flagged that an RTI filed with the state forest and wildlife department confirmed that the land in question was notified forest and that no tender or permission had been issued for construction of the bridge.

In its order on May 7, a bench of justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and experts A Senthil Vel and Afroz Ahmed, said, “The applicant has further submitted that in view of Section 2 of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 (now Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980) the forest land cannot be used for non-forest purposes without prior approval of the Central Government and that the construction of bridge is violative of the above-referred statutory provisions besides the provisions of the Delhi Master Plan and Delhi Development Act, 1957.”

It said that the matter raises substantial environmental issues relating to implementation of environmental laws under Schedule-I of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010.

“In view of the above, notice of the original application along with copies of the documents attached with the same is ordered to be issued to 2 the respondents requiring the respondents to file their responses at least three days before the next date of hearing fixed,” it added.

The NGT will hear the matter next on May 25.