Itanagar: The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) Kolkata bench has slammed the Arunachal Pradesh government for violating its interim stay order by continuing construction activities within a reserve forest in Namsai district.
The NGT order, issued on January 13, 2025, specifically targeted Namsai Deputy Commissioner CR Khampa and the state’s chief secretary for violating the March 16, 2023, stay order.
The court found the affidavit submitted by the Namsai DC on June 27, 2024, to be inadequate.
However, the affidavit failed to provide categorical assurance that no construction was undertaken on the forest land in question after 16 March 2023.
While the affidavit cited a Supreme Court judgment to argue against the validity of the stay order, the NGT ruled that this judgment was inapplicable in this case.
The NGT had explicitly stated that the stay order would remain in effect until the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) issued a final order.
Moreover, photographs submitted with the application demonstrated that construction activities were still underway in the area as of March 4, 2024.
A letter dated September 6, 2023, from the Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary further indicated the state government’s intention to proceed with construction projects in defiance of the NGT’s interim order.
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The NGT has directed the counsel for the applicants, James Teli Camder and Tongam Jomoh, to file a response to the affidavit within four weeks.
