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The National Green Tribunal is a specialized Indian court established under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, to handle environmental disputes and violations.
The National Green Tribunal ordered the state to eliminate the remaining 72 illegal structures on the Bhoj wetland, officially demarcate its protected area and stop untreated discharges. This compels all government agencies to enforce the wetland rules, safeguarding the ecosystem and ensuring compliance by local residents and developers.
NGT Western Zone Bench validates Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority's permission for bund strengthening in CRZ-IA areas, subject to strict eco-friendly conditions like mangrove replantation and solar lighting. The ruling reinforces regulatory compliance while balancing infrastructure development with environmental conservation under the CRZ Notification.
The National Green Tribunal has mandated that all petrol retail outlets must be situated at least 50 metres away from irrigation canals to prevent contamination of water sources and protect agricultural livelihoods. This ruling enforces the Central Pollution Control Board’s environmental siting standards and sets a binding precedent for state authorities issuing NOCs near water bodies.
The National Green Tribunal Southern Zone has ruled that pet coke used as a carbon reductant in silicon carbide manufacturing under the Acheson process is not fuel and thus exempt from prohibition orders under environmental directives. This distinction protects specialized industrial processes while reinforcing the need for precise regulatory categorization of industrial inputs, directly impacting chemical manufacturers in Kerala and beyond.
The National Green Tribunal has constituted a joint committee to investigate illegal sand mining in the Yamuna riverbed, citing violations of the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines 2016 and Enforcement & Monitoring Guidelines for Sand Mining 2020. The Tribunal ordered environmental compensation assessment and strict compliance with statutory guidelines, setting a precedent for regulatory enforcement in riverbed mining cases.
NGT Central Zone Bench holds that framing policies on invasive species like Prosopis juliflora falls within the executive domain, and courts cannot intervene unless arbitrariness or illegality is established. The ruling reinforces the separation of powers, limiting judicial overreach in policy formulation affecting environmental governance.
The National Green Tribunal invoked suo moto powers to launch an environmental investigation after a boiler blast at Vedanta’s Sakti plant killed 13 workers, ordering a joint technical committee to assess violations of environmental laws and recommend compensation. This sets a critical precedent for proactive environmental accountability in industrial disasters, even without a formal petition, reinforcing the NGT’s role as a guardian of ecological rights under the NGT Act, 2010.
The Punjab & Haryana High Court dismissed a PIL challenging an environmental clearance near Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary, ruling that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has exclusive jurisdiction under Section 14 of the NGT Act, 2010. Petitioners must first exhaust remedies before the NGT, reinforcing the statutory bar on High Courts entertaining such environmental disputes without prior NGT adjudication.
The Supreme Court ruled that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) cannot outsource its judicial function to expert committees or issue orders without proper notice, reinforcing the principles of natural justice. The judgment underscores that environmental adjudication must remain with the NGT, ensuring accountability and procedural fairness in disputes involving CPCB guidelines and public utilities.
The Supreme Court ruled that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) cannot outsource its judicial functions to expert committees, as it violates principles of natural justice. The judgment quashed NGT’s reliance on committee reports to block a petrol pump project, emphasizing that statutory compliance and procedural fairness must prevail over speculative environmental concerns. This sets a precedent for environmental adjudication, ensuring courts retain their decision-making authority.
NGT invokes suo motu powers to halt illegal hill-cutting in Himachal Pradesh after a citizen's complaint, ordering joint inspections by forest, mining, and pollution control authorities. The ruling mandates production of environmental clearances and imposes a stop-work order until legality is verified, setting a precedent for public grievances in environmental violations.
NGT clarifies that its suo motu powers do not extend to bypassing territorial jurisdiction rules. The Tribunal must transfer cases to the appropriate zonal bench where the environmental violation occurred, ensuring compliance with procedural fairness and jurisdictional boundaries.
The National Green Tribunal holds that individuals cannot directly approach it with generalized pollution complaints without first filing formal grievances with the pollution control board.
National Green Tribunal holds that rejection of quarry project solely on speculative risk to blackbuck without imposing mitigation conditions violates procedural fairness and environmental law principles.
NGT mandates nationwide elephant mortality database, dry-season action plans, and disease surveillance, establishing legal obligations for habitat protection and infrastructure safety.