NGT flags Nagaland’s delay in filing response on forest land encroachment

DIMAPUR — The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has noted that Nagaland is among several states and Union Territories yet to submit their response in a case concerning large-scale forest land encroachment across the country.

The matter, taken up suo motu by the Tribunal on the basis of a Deccan Herald report published on January 5, 2024, cited government data showing that 7,506 sq km of recorded forest area — five times the size of Delhi — is under encroachment nationwide. The report stated that Nagaland has 0.25 sq km of forest land encroached.

During a hearing on July 31, the NGT observed that despite its March 18 order directing 10 defaulting states to file their replies, only West Bengal had complied.

Nagaland, along with Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, sought four more weeks to submit its response.

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The bench, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, also issued fresh notices to Bihar, Rajasthan, Telangana, Meghalaya and Ladakh, which had neither filed replies nor appeared despite being served notices.

The NGT has listed the matter for the next hearing on Oct. 31 and directed that any state failing to respond by then must be virtually present to assist the bench.