The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Principal Bench at New Delhi, has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report highlighting large-scale felling of trees across several districts in Madhya Pradesh. The Tribunal registered Original Application No. 20/2026 on the basis of a news item titled “मध्य प्रदेश में इस साल 15 लाख पेड़ कटेंगे” published in Dainik Bhaskar on 8 January 2026, noting that the issue raises serious concerns regarding compliance with environmental laws.
The matter was taken up by a Bench comprising Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson, and A. Senthil Vel, Expert Member. In its order dated 13 January 2026, the Tribunal recorded that the news report indicated large-scale destruction of trees aged between 50 and 100 years for various development projects, including roads, coal blocks, railways, and highway construction, and that such deforestation was contributing to rising Air Quality Index (AQI) levels in the region.
According to the news item, more than 15 lakh trees have already been cut or are proposed to be cut across districts such as Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Singrauli, Khandwa, Vidisha, and Ujjain. The report specifically referred to the cutting of around 35,000 trees over 1,397.54 hectares of forest land in Singrauli, with a further 5.7 lakh trees proposed to be felled in dense forest areas. It also highlighted proposals to cut approximately 1.25 lakh trees for a railway project in Khandwa, 25,000 trees for the Bhopal–Kanpur Highway in Vidisha, about 3,000 trees for the Indore–Ujjain road, 7,871 trees for a 10-lane project in Bhopal, and thousands more in and around Gwalior.
The Tribunal observed that the facts disclosed in the news report prima facie indicate violations of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and raise substantial issues relating to compliance with environmental norms and implementation of the scheduled enactments. It noted that the magnitude of the alleged deforestation warranted judicial scrutiny.
While taking suo motu cognizance, the Tribunal also referred to the Supreme Court’s recognition of the NGT’s power to initiate proceedings on its own motion in appropriate cases, including in Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai v. Ankita Sinha & Ors. The Bench held that the present matter involved significant environmental implications and therefore justified invocation of such powers.
The NGT impleaded several senior authorities as respondents in the proceedings, including the Director General of Forests, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC); the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Madhya Pradesh; the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB); the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Madhya Pradesh; and the Integrated Regional Office of the MoEF&CC at Bhopal.
All the respondents have been directed to file their replies by way of affidavits at least one week before the next date of hearing. The Tribunal clarified that if any respondent chooses to file a reply directly without routing it through counsel, such respondent would be required to remain virtually present to assist the Tribunal during the proceedings. The matter has been listed for further consideration on 9 March 2026, when the Tribunal is expected to examine the responses and assess the extent of compliance with environmental laws in relation to the alleged large-scale tree felling in Madhya Pradesh.
Cause Title: News Item Titled " मध्य प्रदेश में इस साल 15 लाख पेड़ कटेंगे" Appearing in Dainik Bhaskar Dated 08.01.2026
Case No: Original Application No. 20/2026
Coram: Prakash Shrivastava, Chairperson, and A. Senthil Vel, Expert Member
