Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday sought a detailed account of funds spent and data on the survival rate of 80,000 planted saplings from the Forest Department and Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC).
The tribunal also directed the authorities to account for all saplings planted over the past five years that withered due to lack of water or maintenance.
NGT sought a report, supported by geo-tagged and site-specific photographs, on 70,000 saplings planted in Huzur Tehsil and 10,000 planted along road dividers and roadsides.
Hearing a petition filed by Nitin Saxena against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and others, the bench comprising Justice Sheo Kumar Singh, judicial member, and Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, expert member, expressed strong dissatisfaction over what it termed the lackadaisical attitude of the state government, Forest Department and BMC in its Oct 6, 2026 order.
The tribunal questioned the Forest Development wing and DFO, Environmental Forestry Division, on why plantation work was not carried out during the 2026 monsoon using funds deposited for the purpose in 2025.
It directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF) to submit a district-wise report on funds received from NHAI and other private and government development agencies over the last five years.
BMC was directed to mandatorily file its reply before the next hearing. The Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) must submit its status report within 10 working days.
The Forest Department has been directed to file a final detailed report within four weeks, including verification of funds deposited instead of tree felling and responses to queries raised by the SDO.
