NGT Slaps Rs 80,000 Fine on Faridabad Official for Illegal Cutting of Heritage Peepal Trees
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken strong action against environmental violations in Faridabad, imposing an environmental compensation of Rs 80,000 on the Deputy Director of the Faridabad Animal Husbandry and Dairying department. This penalty comes in connection with the illegal felling of eight old peepal trees that were supposed to be transplanted according to forest department permissions.
Violation of Transplantation Mandate
The tribunal's principal bench, comprising Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr A Senthil Vel, noted in its January 21 order that the trees were cut in clear violation of condition no. 12 of the permission granted on October 25, 2023. While permission had been granted to fell 44 trees, the eight peepal trees were specifically excluded from cutting and were mandated for transplantation.
The bench observed that "Respondent No. 2 has violated condition no. 12 [transplanting] of the permission dated 25.10.2023" and directed the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) to take appropriate action against those responsible for this violation.
Joint Committee Investigation Findings
The NGT had formed a joint committee on December 10, 2024, comprising representatives from:
- The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
- The Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Chandigarh
The committee's report, dated January 31, 2025, confirmed that permission under the Haryana Land Preservation Act was for felling 44 trees and transplanting eight peepal trees. However, investigators found stumps of the peepal trees at the site, clearly indicating violation of the transplantation requirement.
Inadequate Departmental Responses
The animal husbandry department had submitted replies on April 25, 2025, and July 15, 2025, claiming that transplantation was not feasible due to the trees' heavy girth according to the contractor, and that roots with short stems were left for relocation. The tribunal rejected these explanations, terming them a "mere cover-up" without expert support from the Horticulture Department.
The NGT noted that cutting the trees defeated the purpose of transplantation and caused immediate loss of tree cover and carbon sink, while compensatory afforestation would take years to create equivalent environmental benefits.
Compensation Calculation and Orders
The tribunal took a liberal view in calculating the compensation, fixing it at Rs 10,000 per tree despite the department's valuation of 52 trees (including the peepal trees) that had fetched Rs 2,00,000 in auction. The NGT pointed out that the valuation report did not separately mention peepal trees, and such valuation was unjustified since no cutting permission existed for them.
The bench has directed that:
- The Rs 80,000 fine must be deposited with the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) within four weeks
- The Divisional Forest Officer must take action against those responsible for violating the transplantation condition
- Appropriate legal measures must be implemented expeditiously
This case highlights the NGT's firm stance on environmental protection and its commitment to ensuring compliance with forest conservation regulations, particularly regarding heritage trees that provide significant ecological benefits to urban areas.
