Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 8 Jul: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has registered a suo motu case based on a news report published in The Arunachal Times on 22 April, 2025, titled ‘Villagers seek halt on illegal road construction’.
The report had highlighted the ongoing unauthorized road construction in the ecologically sensitive catchment areas from Ganga to Taipu and Ganga to Tago in Papum Pare district.
The tribunal has directed the respondents to file their responses by affidavit at least one week before the next hearing. The case has been transferred to the eastern zonal bench in Kolkata, with the next hearing scheduled for 21 July.
The NGT’s intervention has sparked hope among the local communities, who have long demanded action to protect their environment and water sources from further degradation.
It was reported by this daily how unchecked earth-cutting and road-building activities have caused significant environmental damage, including contamination of natural water sources and deforestation.
The villagers are now forced to rely on muddy, unsafe water, posing serious health risks. Despite repeated complaints to the range forest officer (RFO) and a formal representation to the governor on 14 April, no action has been taken to curb these violations.
The Village Forest Committee reported that heavy machinery continues to operate in the Tago area, flouting forest regulations.
The tribunal noted that these activities raise serious concerns about compliance with the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
