#Tree Felling

NGT rules that deemed environmental clearance under the EIA Notification 2006 is invalid if procedural requirements, including tree felling permissions, are not strictly followed. The ruling sets a precedent that illegal construction or tree felling nullifies any claim to deemed clearance, impacting real estate developers and environmental regulators.

NGT holds that illegal tree felling for solid waste management projects triggers mandatory compensatory afforestation, even if the facility is not a landfill. The Tribunal directed Municipal Corporation Faridabad to plant 1800 trees and tasked HSPCB with compliance assessment within three months, reinforcing environmental accountability under the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.

NGT holds that challenge to a consequential tree felling order becomes infructuous once work is completed, reinforcing procedural limits on appellate remedies under the Forest (Conservation) Act.

The National Green Tribunal emphasizes that environmental clearances cannot be finalized without verified compliance with all Stage-I conditions, reinforcing procedural rigor under EIA Notification 2006.

NGT holds that compensatory afforestation at 1:10 ratio is mandatory for tree felling, even for public infrastructure. No automatic exemption for state projects.

Bombay High Court takes suo motu cognizance of large-scale tree felling without compensatory plantation, directing strict compliance with environmental laws.

NGT dismisses generic petition on mass tree felling in Bolangir, holding that environmental litigation demands specific, substantiated allegations-not general grievances.