NGT orders FIR, compensation over illegal felling of 40 trains by Delhi govt department

The NGT ordered an FIR and environmental compensation for illegal felling of 40 trees in Delhi, criticizing authorities for inaction and mandating sapling planting.

New Delhi

Directions have now been issued to ensure plantation of 400 saplings in the area, with the forest department to compile and share data of all complaints of illegal tree felling it has received in the past five years. (HT Archive)

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), in a case pertaining to illegal felling of 40 trees by the irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department along the Mangolpuri-Sultanpuri drain in 2023, issued a slew of orders including registration of an FIR, recovery of environmental compensation and undertaking compensatory afforestation.

A bench of justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Afroz Ahmad pulled up the state forest and wildlife department and other agencies for failing to take action against illegal tree felling, which was in violation of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994. The tree felling was also confirmed by an NGT-appointed joint committee in 2025, but no action was taken, it noted in its order dated May 12.

NGT said a complaint regarding illegal felling was made on March 10, 2023, to the deputy conservator of forests (north) over felling of 40 trees, but only one hearing was conducted, on July 5, 2023. “Thereafter (they) did not conduct any further hearing till filing of the present original application and issuance of notice of the present original application..The facts of the present case reflect a very sorry state of affairs where the authorities entrusted with the responsibility of preservation of trees have not only failed to prevent illegal felling of trees but have also failed to take any prompt action in accordance with the provisions of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994,” the bench said.

Directions have now been issued to ensure plantation of 400 saplings in the area, with the forest department to compile and share data of all complaints of illegal tree felling it has received in the past five years, along with the action taken in these cases.

“The PCCF in the Government of NCT of Delhi is directed to obtain information from all the tree officers in Delhi with respect to all complaints made regarding illegal felling of trees during the last five years, action taken/orders passed on the same and status of compliance with the orders passed regarding carrying out of compensatory plantation in terms of the orders passed and to compile the information so received and upload the same on the website of the Forest and Wildlife Department or website of Government of NCT of Delhi within three months,” the bench said.

Further, it called for expediting action on all tree-felling related complaints.

The bench, hearing the matter on a plea filed by Delhi resident Vijay Kumar, ordered the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to recover environmental compensation in the matter and directed police to file an FIR.

“Police station Sultanpuri is directed to register FIR regarding illegal felling of trees under Section 24 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994 and also under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, for offence of theft of 40 (forty) trees and to investigate and submit investigation report before the concerned Judicial Magistrate within six months,” the bench said.