Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of 'News Item titled "Forest land five times Delhi’s geographical area  Under encroachment govt. data shows" appearing in Deccan Herald  dated 05.01.2024' dated 09/02/2024.

An application was filed before the NGT on the basis of a news report published in Deccan Herald, January 5, 2024 under the title "“Forest land five times Delhi’s geographical area Under encroachment govt. data shows”. The news report said that across the country there is large encroachment on forest land and broadly more than 7500 square kilometres of the recorded forest area of a total 7,75,288 square kilometers across the country has been encroached upon but no action has been taken by the concerned authorities in this matter. 56 percent of the forest area under encroachment falls under states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura and Manipur.

Counsel on behalf of Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) informed the court that since the matter related to various state governments, the ministry has asked the concerned governments to take appropriate action and requested for time to file response to place on record the action taken by the MoEF&CC. As the issue involved all the states and Union Territories across the country, Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary of Environment & Forests of all the states and Union Territories be impleaded as respondents.

The next hearing of the case will be held on April 19, 2024.