More than 200 mature trees were illegally cut and removed from agricultural land in Kot village, District Pathankot, Punjab, between March 31 and April 6, 2025. The land belongs to Lalit Kumar, who says private individuals carried out the felling without authorisation.
Who Raised the Alarm
Kumar filed Original Application No. 118/2026 before the National Green Tribunal’s Principal Bench in New Delhi. His legal team, advocates Bagesh Kumar Singh, Khushi Wadhwa, and Parth Chhabra presented photographs and satellite images to support the claim. The satellite imagery, filed as Annexures D and E, shows the extent of green cover lost at the site.
Kumar reported the incident immediately to local police and forest authorities. No FIR was registered. No spot inspection was carried out by forest officials. A formal complaint was also submitted to the concerned officer, but that too drew no response. The application before the NGT includes this complaint as Annexure J.
When the Tribunal Stepped In
The NGT heard the matter on February 19, 2026, before a bench comprising Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr. Afroz Ahmad. The tribunal noted that the case raises substantial issues relating to compliance of environmental norms.
The bench issued notices to several authorities, including the Forest Protection Division, the Chief Conservator of Forests, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, and the Divisional Forest Officer, among other respondents.
The tribunal also allowed Kumar’s application seeking exemption from filing clear typed copies of documents, on the condition that legible copies are placed on record before the hearing. A separate application for condonation of delay was also issued notice.
Kumar has been directed to serve all respondents and file an affidavit of service at least one week before the next date of hearing. The matter is now listed for May 15, 2026.
Larger Picture
The felling of over 200 mature trees on a single agricultural plot represents a significant loss of green cover. With no FIR filed and no field inspection conducted nearly a year after the incident, the case raises serious questions about accountability at the local forest and police administration level.
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