The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Delhi government and other relevant authorities in response to allegations of misuse of forest land that was earmarked for afforestation. The controversy surrounds 125 bighas (approximately 30 hectares) of land in Kharkhari Jatmal village, Najafgarh, which was allocated to the forest department back in 2005 under an initiative approved by the lieutenant governor to enhance the green cover and contribute to environmental protection in the area.
The plea, which brought the issue to light, alleges significant encroachments on this land by the “land mafia,” who have initiated illegal constructions and unauthorized agricultural activities, undermining the environmental objectives of the allocation. Adding to the complexity of the case, the petition also claims that the demarcation of the designated land remains incomplete, and there has been illegal extraction and sale of groundwater from the area, exacerbating the environmental degradation.
Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson of the NGT, along with judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel, presided over the hearing. The bench ordered that the respondents, including the Delhi government, the Deputy Conservator of Forest, Department of Forest and Wildlife, and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate concerned, submit their responses via an affidavit at least one week before the next scheduled hearing on April 22.
