NGT dismisses plea against Delhi Forest Department notice

The National Green Tribunal has dismissed a plea seeking quashing of a Delhi Forest Department notice issued for the removal of encroachment from forest land observing, 'No one can be the owner of forest land.'

A bench of NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, while dealing with the plea of the applicant Sonia & Co.private Limited said it is difficult to entertain the application.

"Apart from the fact that this Tribunal can be approached under Section 14 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 by victim of the environment only, it is not the case of the applicant that the land from which encroachment is being removed is not forest land," said the recently passed order.

The bench further asserted that "Once it is so, even if the applicant has purchased the same from someone who is not the owner (as no one can be the owner of the forest land), the Applicant cannot claim right to continue in forest land which cannot be used for non-forest purposes."

It further directed the counsel for the applicant to withdraw the application and to take any other remedy.

The application is dismissed as withdrawn, the order stated.