Sangeetha Prathap

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Principal Bench, New Delhi, has disposed of an environmental application seeking wide-ranging directives on population management, redevelopment norms, demolition policies and sustainability planning across the Delhi–NCR region, holding that the issues raised fall squarely within the policy domain of the competent governmental authorities rather than within the Tribunal’s adjudicatory framework. The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr. A. Senthil Vel on 18 November 2025.

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The application was filed by Ashish Jain, appearing in person, who urged the Tribunal to issue a series of directions to ministries, statutory bodies and civic authorities including the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

Jain submitted that Delhi–NCR was facing severe ecological strain on account of rising population density and rapid redevelopment, and therefore called for a comprehensive “Population–Environment and Building Density Impact Assessment” for the region with a time-bound action plan. The applicant sought an array of additional directions, including amendments to the Unified Building By-laws and the Master Plan of Delhi 2041 to link height, FAR and number of dwelling units to environmental carrying capacity, road width and infrastructure availability.

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He also requested that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi mandate a minimum structural age for demolition and impose penalties for premature demolition based on the Polluter Pays Principle. Other prayers related to cumulative environmental impact assessments of demolition and reconstruction activity, annual dust and debris inventories, formation of a multi-disciplinary expert committee on population–environment thresholds and creation of a State-level population regulation framework.

After hearing the applicant, the Tribunal noted that almost the entirety of the reliefs sought involved policy formulation, administrative decisions or legislative action that lie within the competence of the concerned authorities.

Since the application sought structural policy interventions — rather than adjudication of a discrete violation of environmental norms — the Tribunal held that such matters were outside the scope of judicial intervention under the NGT Act. It further recorded that the applicant himself requested liberty to make a comprehensive representation to the relevant authorities for consideration of these measures.

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In view of these circumstances, the Tribunal permitted the applicant to approach the competent authorities with an appropriate representation encapsulating all the issues raised. It directed that, if such a representation is submitted, the concerned authority shall consider it in accordance with law and dispose of it expeditiously. With these directions, the Tribunal disposed of the application.

Appearance

Applicant: Mr. Ashish Jain, Applicant in Person

Cause Title: Ashish Jain v. Union of India & Ors.

Case No: Original Application No. 571/2025

Coram: Justice Prakash Shrivastava (Chairperson), Dr. A. Senthil Vel (Expert Member)