980 trees gone from Greater Noida factory, accountability missing: NGT grills UP authorities

Expressing its strong displeasure over the illegal felling of 980 trees from the premises of a closed factory in Greater Noida and the alleged inaction of the authorities in tracing those responsible, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), in a recent hearing, directed the chief conservator of forests, Uttar Pradesh, to personally probe the matter and appraise the bench about the legal status of tree felling and the action taken so far.

“We require principal chief conservator of forest to look into the matter personally and appear virtually before the NGT on the next date of hearing to appraise us about the legal status of cutting of tees and the action that has been taken,” the NGT bench said, during a hearing on February 3.

NGT has taken suo motu cognizance of large-scale tree felling on the premises of the defunct Daewoo Motors (also referred to as DCM Company), now acquired by Shakuntalam Landcraft Pvt. Ltd in Greater Noida.

The tribunal noted serious lapses on the part of the forest department and other authorities in identifying the culprits and recovering the felled timber.

The NGT bench comprising chairperson justice Prakash Shrivastava, judicial member justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, and expert member Dr Afroz Ahmad said, “Adequate action has not been taken by the officers concerned to trace those responsible for the illegal felling of 980 trees or to recover the timber. There appears to be a lapse on the part of the authorities in the matter.”

The Gautam Budh Nagar forest department acted on June 10, 2024, after being informed about the illegal tree felling. Range forest officer, Dadri, conducted a site inspection and seized a truck and a tractor-trolley (without registration) loaded with the illegally cut neem, eucalyptus, and river tamarind trees.

The driver of the two vehicles, Wasim Khan and Mujahid Khan, both from Amroha district, lacked valid permits. A case was registered under the Tree Protection Act, 1976, and Uttar Pradesh Transport Rules, 1978.

However, the tribunal noted that the seized timber could not possibly account for 980 felled trees, suggesting that a much larger operation was at play. Despite another report of illegal tree felling on June 25, 2024, at the same site, action remained limited to vehicle seizures and notices to drivers, the tribunal observed.

Criticising the state authorities for their unsatisfactory efforts in tracing the missing timber and the individuals behind the large-scale felling, the NGT noted that there was no serious effort to recover the timber from over 900 missing trees or to identify the key culprits behind the felling.

The tribunal also found the response from the divisional forest officer, Gautam Budh Nagar, unsatisfactory, as it merely pointed out security lapses by two guards without taking meaningful action against them or the landowner.

Additionally, the tribunal questioned why the state’s principal chief conservator of forests had not ensured a proper investigation into the matter.

The forest department, in an affidavit, informed the NGT that the legal limitations of the Tree Protection Act have made it difficult to hold culprits accountable.

“All necessary actions that could be taken by the forest department in the matter have already been undertaken. Moreover, we have apprised the tribunal that the existing provisions under the Tree Protection Act, 1976, particularly Sections 10 and 15, are not sufficient to book the culprits involved in illegal tree felling. The penalties prescribed under the Act are inadequate to deter large-scale violations,” said PK Srivastava, divisional forest officer.

The case has been listed for the next hearing on May 13, 2025.