The National Green Tribunal’s Principal Bench in New Delhi has sought the applicant’s response to a Joint Committee report that found no evidence of illegal tree felling at the District Court Complex in Bhiwani, Haryana. The matter arises from a letter-petition filed by Amit Kumar Arya alleging unlawful cutting of 40 trees within the court premises, which the Tribunal had earlier converted into an Original Application.
In its 2024 order, the Tribunal had constituted a Joint Committee comprising the Divisional Forest Officer (Bhiwani) and the Haryana Pollution Control Board to verify the allegations. The Committee’s action taken report, filed on October 30, 2025, stated that no tree felling had occurred in the District Court Complex over the last three years, as confirmed by official records. During the site inspection, the complainant pointed instead to stumps located in an adjoining colony, where forest laws do not apply. The Committee noted that the decomposed condition of the stumps made it impossible to determine whether they were wind-fallen, dead, or green trees, and concluded that the complaint appeared to be unfounded.
Taking note of the report, the NGT issued notice to the applicant, granting one month to file objections or a response.
The matter will be heard next on January 12, 2026.
Appearances:
Applicant: None for the Applicant.
Respondents: Mr. Rahul Khurana, Advocate for respondents.
