NGT halts Punjab river desilting auctions pending clearances.
NGT grants MoEFCC time to verify Stage-I compliance violations in four-laning project of Sirhind-Patiala road.
NGT orders MCD, DPCC reports on Savitri Nagar pond encroachments.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) February 17, 2026 directed that, as an interim measure, the desilting work of various rivers under drainage divisions SAS Nagar, Patiala, Mansa, Ropar, Ludhiana, Sri Anandpur Sahib and SBS Nagar would not be commenced without further orders from the court.
The tribunal directed notice to be issued to the respondents which included the Department of Mining and Geology, Punjab; State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Punjab; Director, Mining and Geology; Punjab Pollution Control Board; Central Pollution Control Board among others.
The applicant has challenged the auction notice, October 17, 2025 issued by the Executive Engineer, Mansa Drainage Division, Punjab Water Resources Department for desilting of critical sites of various rivers under drainage divisions of SAS Nagar, Patiala, Mansa, Ropar, Ludhiana, Sri Anandpur Sahib and SBS Nagar.
Counsel for the applicant said that the desilting work is for commercial purposes and environmental clearances are required before issuing the auction notice. The applicant pointed to the order of the southern bench (Sarvabhoum Bagali Vs State of Karnataka & Ors) wherein such desilting work for commercial purposes without requisite clearances has been found to be illegal.
The NGT February 18, 2026 granted time to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to file its reply on whether conditions of Stage-I approval were complied by the project proponent in the four-laning project of Sirhind-Patiala road of 22 km stretch.
The applicant, Public Action Committee said that a large number of trees had been cut and the Indian Roads Congress Code SP: 21-2009 Guidelines, have not been complied with. The applicant further said that conditions of stage-I approval, August 1, 2023 have been violated.
The conditions of stage-I approval were that the nodal officer (state CAMPA) authority should furnish undertaking that the funds under state CAMPA would be released to Divisional Forest Officer as per approved CA scheme. The second condition was that the layout plan of the proposal should not be changed without prior approval of the Central Government.
The NGT by order, November 24, 2025 had granted time to regional office, MoEFCC, Chandigarh to obtain instructions if the conditions are complied with by the project proponent and file affidavit.
Affidavit by MoEFCC, February 17, 2026 stated that upon receipt of the necessary commitments on conditions imposed in the stage-I approval and other satisfactory compliance report from the Punjab government on the conditions stipulated in the in-principle approval, August 1, 2023 from the state government, the central government has examined and analyzed the report and "after ensuring completeness of in-principle approval, the final approval was granted by the Central Government on January 18, 2024".
Applicant, Public Action Committee has said that the reply filed by MoEFCC is vague and no verification has been done to ascertain if the conditions of stage-I approval were complied with.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) was directed by the NGT, February 17, 2026 to file reports on steps taken to remove encroachments on a johar (pond) situated in Savitri Nagar village, Delhi. The reply has to be filed within six weeks.
The applicant had filed an execution application seeking compliance of the NGT order, July 11, 2025.
The tribunal had taken note of the fact that the applicant had already made a complaint to DPCC which was forwarded to the District Magistrate, South and Commissioner, MCD and had disposed of the application by directing the authorities to expeditiously ascertain the status of the pond in question by carrying out spot inspection and if any encroachment is found on the land of the pond, take appropriate remedial and punitive action. The court also directed that the order should be carried out within a period of three months.
Counsel for the applicant submits that the court's directions has not been complied with and no spot inspection has been done and encroachment has not been removed on the contrary further construction is being made on the pond area.