E-Paper
NGT takes up plea on environmental damage at Chandrashekhar Smriti Van
The plea points out that over 62,000 trees were cut in 2004 to construct a 395-acre police training institute within the protected forest area, in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. It also raises concerns over additional encroachments, including illegal resorts and farmhouses, and cites previous tribunal orders from 2019 and 2020 that criticised the Haryana government’s inaction on similar environmental concerns
Gurugram: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has admitted a petition highlighting large-scale ecological degradation and illegal constructions within the Chandrashekhar Smriti Van in Bhondsi, Gurugram. The case, filed by researcher and environmental activist Naveen Bamel, alleges widespread violations of forest and environmental laws and seeks urgent intervention by the green watchdog.
A bench led by NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and member Dr A Senthil Vel heard the petition earlier this week. The application, filed under Sections 14, 15, and 18 of the NGT Act, 2010, invokes the precautionary principle, sustainable development, inter-generational equity and the public trust doctrine.
The plea points out that over 62,000 trees were cut in 2004 to construct a 395-acre police training institute within the protected forest area, in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. It also raises concerns over additional encroachments, including illegal resorts and farmhouses, and cites previous tribunal orders from 2019 and 2020 that criticised the Haryana government’s inaction on similar environmental concerns.
Counsel for the petitioner, advocate Gaurav Arya, also pointed to environmental and ecological threats such as poaching, unsanctioned recreational activities like setting up volleyball nets, and ethical violations in wildlife photography. The petition notes that 46% of Haryana’s bird species are under threat, while recent leopard sightings between 2023 and 2025 reflect ongoing habitat degradation and rising man-animal conflict.
The plea further highlights neglect in forest infrastructure maintenance, including broken boundary walls that reportedly enable anti-social activities and encroachments. A lake within Smriti Van, once a key water feature, has reportedly dried up as of 2018, while sacred areas and public spaces inside the park have been left derelict.
“The environmental degradation not only violates statutory environmental norms but also impairs the constitutional rights of present and future generations under Articles 21, 48A, and 51A(g),” the petition states.
Taking cognizance of the submissions, the tribunal said the plea raised “substantial issue relating to compliance with environmental norms.” The NGT has issued notices to the Union of India, State of Haryana, Haryana Forest Department, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, and other stakeholders, directing them to file detailed responses before the next hearing.
The matter is listed for further hearing on October 14.
