NGT pulls up Arunachal govt for illegal construction in reserve forest

Itanagar: The National Green Tribunal's (NGT) Kolkata bench has reprimanded the Arunachal Pradesh government for continuing construction activities within a reserve forest in Namsai district despite the tribunal's interim stay order.

The NGT order, issued on January 13, 2025, specifically targeted Namsai Deputy Commissioner CR Khampa and the state's chief secretary for violating the March 16, 2023, stay order.

The court found the affidavit submitted by the Namsai DC on June 27, 2024, to be inadequate. While the affidavit cited a Supreme Court judgment to argue against the validity of the stay order, the NGT ruled that this judgment was inapplicable in this case.

The tribunal had explicitly stated that the stay order would remain in effect until the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) issued a final order.

Furthermore, photographs submitted with a miscellaneous application provided evidence of ongoing construction within the forest area as recently as March 4, 2024.

A letter dated September 6, 2023, from the Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary further indicated the state government's intention to proceed with construction projects in defiance of the NGT's order.

The NGT has directed the counsel for the applicants, James Teli Camder and Tongam Jomoh, to file a response to the affidavit within four weeks.