ITANAGAR, 18 Jan: The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) Kolkata-based eastern zone bench made severe observations against the Arunachal Pradesh government regarding illegal construction in Namsai district’s forest reserve land.
The NGT’s observations were specifically directed against Namsai Deputy Commissioner CR Khampa and the chief secretary for violating the interim stay order dated 16 March, 2023.
According to the NGT’s order dated 13 January, 2025, the state respondents had filed an affidavit dated 27 June, 2024, sworn by the Namsai DC. However, the affidavit failed to provide categorical assurance that no construction was undertaken on the forest land in question after 16 March, 2023.
Instead, the affidavit cited a Supreme Court judgment (2022 SCC online SC 1770) to argue that the interim order would lapse post-disposal. Nevertheless, the NGT held that this judgement has no application to the present case, as the tribunal had explicitly directed that the interim order would remain in effect until a final order was passed by the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC).
Furthermore, photographs appended to the miscellaneous application revealed ongoing construction in the area as of 4 March, 2024.
A letter dated 6 September, 2023, from the chief secretary, government of Arunachal, also indicated the state government’s intention to proceed with construction projects in defiance of the NGT’s interim order.
The NGT has directed the applicants James Teli Camder and Tongam Jomoh’s counsel to file a response to the affidavit within four weeks.
