New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a response from the Delhi government and others regarding the alleged "misuse" of forest land allotted for afforestation.
The green body was hearing a plea claiming that 125 bighas (around 30 hectares) of Gram Sabha land in Kharkhari Jatmal village, Najafgarh, was allocated to the forest department for afforestation in 2005 and the lieutenant governor approved this allocation to mitigate pollution, enhance green cover and contribute to environmental protection.
The petition alleged this land had been misused as the "land mafia" encroached upon it and started illegal construction and unauthorised agricultural activities. In its order dated January 2, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted that the plea also alleged that the demarcation of the land was incomplete and that there was illegal extraction and sale of groundwater from this area.
"Issue notice to the respondents for filing their response/reply by way of affidavit before the tribunal at least one week before the next date of hearing (on April 22)," said the bench also comprising judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel.
The respondents in the matter are the Delhi government, the deputy conservator of forest, department of forest and wildlife and the sub-divisional magistrate concerned.
