In an order passed on Monday, by The National Green Tribunal (NGT), it stated that there is still no report from the joint committee on record, and neither has the Chief Secretary appeared digitally. The bench included judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A. Senthil Vel. The next hearing in this case will be on March 4.
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New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed fines on the Delhi Forest Department, the Public Works Department (PWD), and the Delhi government for their failure to submit a comprehensive report on the alleged environmental norm violations during construction at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence in Civil Lines. The NGT directed the Delhi Forest Department to pay RS 15,000 for not providing the required report, which was to be compiled by a joint committee formed by the NGT.
Additionally, the NGT imposed a fine of RS 10,000 each on the PWD and the Delhi government for not submitting their responses in the case. The petitioner, Naresh Chaudhary, had accused that trees were “illegally” felled during the construction at Mr. Kejriwal’s residence at 6, Flag Staff Road.
On May 9, 2023, the NGT had established a joint committee, including the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary (Environment and Forest), a nominee of the Delhi Urban Art Commission, and District Magistrate (North). This committee was tasked with ascertaining the factual position of the matter and was expected to file a report by May 31, 2023.
However, despite repeated instructions, the joint committee’s report was not received, leading the NGT to extend the deadline by an additional four weeks on October 30. In a subsequent order dated January 15, 2024, the principal Bench of the NGT, comprising chairperson Prakash Shrivastava, judicial member Sudhir Agarwal, and expert member A. Senthil Vel, noted that a report was filed on the same day but was in “violation of norms.”
The green court observed that a hard copy of the report, which mentioned as many as 53 annexures, was produced during the argument, but none of these annexures were enclosed.
The NGT stated,
“Such an incomplete report has no meaning. The Deputy Conservator of Forests (Central) submits that the enclosures to the report will be submitted during the course of the day. Hence, the report is accepted, subject to deposit of a cost of ₹15,000 before the Registrar General of the Tribunal.”
Furthermore, the NGT remarked that on October 30, the PWD’s request for two weeks to present the relevant documents was accepted, but no such documents have been submitted yet. This case highlights the ongoing scrutiny and enforcement of environmental regulations in urban development projects, particularly those involving high-profile government officials. The NGT’s actions underscore the importance of adhering to environmental norms and the consequences of failing to provide timely and complete documentation in such matters.
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