The National Green Tribunal disposed of an original application alleging illegal tree cutting near the Taj Mahal. Finding the complaint lacked requisite particulars and impleaded parties, the Tribunal dismissed it without an intervention order, granting liberty to the applicant to file a complete original application in the prescribed format.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
Item No. 05
Court No. 2
BEFORE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL PRINCIPAL BENCH, NEW DELHI
Original Application No. 111/2026
Apoorv Sharma Applicant
Versus
State of Uttar Pradesh & Ors. Respondents
Date of hearing: 23.02.2026
CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE ARUN KUMAR TYAGI, JUDICIAL MEMBER HON’BLE MR. ISHWAR SINGH, EXPERT MEMBER
A pplicant: Applicant in person.
ORDER
Hon’ble Supreme Court in Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha, (2022) 13 SCC 401.
xxx…………………….………………..xxx…………………………………xxx
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प्रकतबंकितताजमहलसे 5 ककलोमीररकीपररकिमेंस्थितआगराकॉलेजप्रािार्ापररसरव उसकेआसपास केक्षेत्रकेसघन वृक्षक्षेत्रमेंमाननीर्सवोच्चन्यार्ालर्केआदेशोंकी अवहेलनाकरतेहुए बडेपैमानेपरप्रकतबंकितएवंअन्यहरे - भरेपेडोंकीकराईकरवादी गईहै , कजसकीकशकार्त मर्सबूतोंकेमुझ प्राथीकेद्वारा कजला वन अकिकारीएवंअन्य संबंकितकवभागोंमेंकीगईथी।कजसपररीकमकसंहनामकवनकमीद्वाराकवकभन्नमाध्यमो सेमुझपरकशकार्तवाकपसलेनेकोदबाबबनवानेकाप् र ासककर्ागर्ातथामेरेनमानने पर मेरीकशकार्त केकईकदनोंकेबाद , जब कक आरोकपर्ोंद्वारा अवैि रूप सेकारेगए सारेकरेपेड मौकेसेहरा कदए गए व सबूत नष्टकर कदए गए , तब मुझेमौकेपर आकर सबूतउपलब्धकरानेकोकहागर्ा।मेरेद्वारावनकमीरीकमकसंहसेर्ेपूछेजानेपरकक जबमेरेद्वाराकीगईकशकार्तमेंसारेसबूतमौजूदथेतोआपद्वाराअभीतककोईप्रभावी कार्ावाहीनकरकेआरोकपर्ोंकोसबूतनष्टकरनेकासमर्वमौकाक्ोंकदर्ागर्ातबवे मुझेमेरी igrs मेंकीगईकशकार्तोंकोवाकपसलेनेकेकलर्ेकहनेलगेऔरकहनेलगेकक ऐसीकशकार्तोकाकुछनहींहोता . गूगलअथासेमेरीकशकार्तवबडीसंख्यामेंपेडोंके अवैिकरानकीपुकष्टअभीभीकीजासकतीहै . शहरमेंििााहैकककजलावनअकिकारी केसंरक्षणमेंवनकमीरीकमकसंहकेद्वाराअवैिरूपसेपेडकराईकेमामलोंमेंआरोकपर्ों सेसांठगांठकरकशकार्तकतााओंसेसंपकासािकरउनकेस्थिलाफहुईकशकार्तकोित्म करनावकशकार्तकतााकोअन्यस्त्रोतोंसेदवाबअथवािमकीकदलवा करशांत रहनेके कलएर्ाकशकार्तवापसलेनेकेकलएबाध्यककर्ाजाताहै . अवगतहोंककरीकमकसंहआगरा काहीमूलकनवासीहैतथाआगरावनकवभागमेंकाफीवर्षोंसेजोडतोडसेलगातारतैनात हैवइन्हेंअवैिकमाईकाउपकरणहोनेकेिलतेिानीर्उच्चअकिकाररर्ोंकाभीसंरक्षण प्राप्तहैकजसकेबल पर र्ह कजलेसेआनेवालीकशकार्तोंकोलंकबत रि आरोकपर्ोंसे साठगांठकरकेबडेपैमानेपरपेडकराईकेअवैिकृत्यमेंलम्बेसमर्सेकलप्तहैं।उक्त कमािारीरीकमकसंहद्वाराभ्रष्टािारसेबडेपैमानेपरिनादोहनकरभारीअवैिकमाईकी गईहैकजसकीगोपनीर्जांिहोनाअकतआवश्यकहै।
अतः आपसेकनवेदनहैकक आगरा केवन क्षेत्रमेंतैनात कमीरीकम कसंह कीकवकजलेन्स जांिकरातेहुएइन्हेंकहींअन्यिानांतररतककर्ाजार्क्ोंककइनकेआगरामेंतैनातरहने परआगरामेंअवैिरूप सेपेड करतेरहेंगेतथा आगराकॉलेज पररसरमेंअवैिरूपसे बडीसंख्या मेंकारेगए पेडोंकेसम्बन्धमेंदोकर्षर्ोंकेकवरुद्धमाननीर्सवोच्चन्यार्ालर् तथासेंरिलइम्पॉवर्ाकमेरीद्वाराकनदेकशतकार्ावाहीकरनेकेआदेशपाररतकरनेकीकृपा करे। .”
relevant part of the Application reads as under:-
“I wish to submit that Agra is an environmentally sensitive area where the Hon'ble Supreme Court has continuously issued several orders and directions concerning environmental protection and has been monitoring the matter with due vigilance. Even recently, an inquiry is underway regarding the trees cut in the city for the Metro project. Despite this, disregarding the law, the Principal of Agra College, Agra, Shri Chitra Kumar Gautam, has carried out large-scale cutting of prohibited and other green trees without any statutory permission, in blatant violation of the orders of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, within the
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restricted 5 km radius of the Taj Mahal. This illegal tree cutting has been carried out in the college campus area located on M.G. Road, Agra, near the drain at Nalband Chauraha, in and around his residential premises and adjoining dense green area. This unlawful activity is still continuing.
In this regard, the applicant had submitted a written complaint to the Forest Department and other concerned authorities on 27/09/2025, requesting appropriate action and issuance of necessary orders for the protection of the environment and wildlife. However, not only was no action taken, but the concerned departmental officers/employees shared complete information regarding the applicant's complaint with the persons involved in the tree cutting and their patrons. As a result, various kinds of undue pressure have been created upon the applicant to force him to stop pursuing the matter. Officers of the Forest Department have also been making phone calls and speaking in different manners, giving the impression that they have already made up their minds to close the matter at the departmental level. Approximately 15 days after my complaint, on 9th October 2025 at about 8:24 AM, I was instructed through phone number +91 82798 29901 to reach the site of the incident and was told to provide evidence of environmental damage. I was also informed that a case had already been instituted in this matter, but later it was admitted by them that only preliminary inquiry and evidence collection were pending in the case (the phone recording is available with the applicant).”
13 SCC 401 and vide order 19.01.2026, directed the Divisional Forest Officer, Agra to verify the factual position and take preventive, punitive and remedial action in accordance with law by granting opportunity of being heard to the applicant and the project proponent.
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treated and registered as O.A. No. 111/2026. In complaint dated 03.11.2025, the Applicant has referred to his earlier complaint dated 10.10.2025 made by him regarding illegal felling of trees.
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application with requisite factual and legal details and by impleading necessary parties and enclosing relevant documents with the same.
Arun Kumar Tyagi, JM
Ishwar Singh, EM
February 23rd , 2026 Original Application No. 111/2026 AB
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2 issues framed by the court
Whether the Tribunal can exercise its suo moto jurisdiction in the absence of requisite particulars and impleaded parties.
Whether the application, filed as an advocate without specific details, warrants an intervention order or disposal.
Colour shows how this judgement treated each authority
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita SinhaReferred¶12
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha, (2022) 13 SCC 401 · Who else cites this
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita SinhaReferred¶27
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai vs. Ankita Sinha, (2022) 13 SCC 401 · Who else cites this
Apoorv Sharma
State of Uttar Pradesh & Ors.
Arun Kumar Tyagi
Ishwar Singh
As recorded by the court registry
An original application before a tribunal, most commonly a service dispute before the Central or a State Administrative Tribunal.
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
