The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a directive for the personal appearance of key Uttarakhand environmental officials in a case concerning the illegal felling of 176 trees in Udham Singh Nagar district. The officials summoned include the member secretary of the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (UKPCB) and the state’s principal chief conservator of forests.
The order came during the proceedings of a petition addressing the unauthorized tree cutting linked to a residential colony development in Chandpur village. A bench consisting of Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel presided over the hearing, emphasizing the gravity of the environmental violation.
The tribunal’s decision follows a report by a joint committee, which included representatives from the district magistrate, the Dehradun regional office of the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, and the UKPCB. This committee confirmed that 176 trees had been unlawfully removed and highlighted the need for environmental compensation.
In response to the findings, the NGT has called for a detailed explanation from the Uttarakhand chief secretary among others. “We consider the personal appearance of the member secretary, UKPCB, and principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) before this tribunal physically or through video-conferencing on the next date of hearing to be essential for assisting this tribunal in just and proper adjudication of the questions involved in the case,” the bench stated.
