The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has slammed the Haryana forest department over gaps in its compliance report in a tree-felling case, calling it 'materially deficient' and directing the divisional forest officer (DFO) to appear at the next hearing.
NGT order highlights deficiencies
In its April 27 order, the principal bench of the NGT stated, 'We have gone through the status report dated April 24 filed by DFO, Gurgaon and found the same to be materially deficient, as the area of compensatory plantation and survival rate of the saplings planted have not been mentioned.' The matter was heard by Justices Arun Kumar Tyagi and Sudhir Agarwal, along with expert member A Senthil Vel.
Background of the case
The complainant alleged illegal and large-scale tree felling in Gurgaon's urban areas. On November 6, 2025, the tribunal had sought an affidavit detailing the number of tree felling permissions granted in the city over a one-year period, the number of trees felled under those permissions, the saplings planted as part of compliance conditions, and their survival rate. However, these crucial details were still missing in the latest report.
Technology-based accountability stressed
Observing the lack of information, the bench emphasized the need for technology-based accountability. 'With advances in technology, all compensatory plantations can be geo-tagged and video-recorded. Each planted sapling can be assigned a unique number, its survival rate can be tracked, and the plantation area can be properly recorded,' the bench said. It also noted that 'further care and maintenance of the saplings planted has to be monitored by evolving appropriate mechanism and reports have to be filed as well.'
Environmentalist's response
Environmentalist Vaishali Rana, who filed the petition, commented, 'The order signals sharper scrutiny of whether compensatory plantation conditions attached to tree-felling permissions in Gurgaon are being implemented on the ground or remain confined to paperwork, with the tribunal now pushing for verifiable, geotagged monitoring of plantation compliance.'
