In a reply filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Indian Army acknowledged that it had not sought prior sanction or consultation from the Delhi Forest Department before initiating a reforestation project in the Ridge area — an omission attributed to oversight on the Army’s part.
According to the Army, 42,000 indigenous trees have been planted, a figure verified by the Delhi Forest Department during site visits on January 6 and February 10, 2024. An internal inquiry conducted by Army HQ Delhi Area found no evidence of mala fide intent by the unit involved.
The Army’s report, dated December 23, 2024, was uploaded to the NGT website on April 17, 2025. The affidavit was submitted by the Officer Commanding of B Squadron, 61 Cavalry, Delhi Cantonment.
The B Squadron, which is the custodian of the land parcel referenced in a Times of India report dated December 18, 2023, has been undertaking afforestation drives since 2021. The unit employed the Miyawaki method of plantation, under which personnel planted 22,000 indigenous trees that have since developed into self-sustaining mini forests.
On the 8.78 hectares in question, a further 22,000 indigenous trees were planted. Currently 4-5 feet tall, these saplings were not visible in Google Earth satellite imagery from April 2023. Additionally, there are 90 Kikar trees in the area which cannot be discerned in the satellite image due to their scattered distribution and sparse foliage at the time the image was captured.
The Army clarified that no trees were uprooted or felled during the planting of 20,000 additional saplings. However, approximately 20 fallen or dry trees were relocated to the periphery to create a natural barrier. These remain on site. The area also contained dense undergrowth, including large bushes, shrubs and foliage, which was cleared.
The report acknowledged that prior consultation should have been sought before removing some of the dry or fallen trees. The Army stated that personnel at all levels have since been sensitised to such procedural requirements. The initiative aimed to enhance the local ecosystem by increasing native tree cover; in total, approximately 42,000 indigenous trees have now been planted.
The Army also noted that the initiative aligns with directives issued by the Delhi government’s Department of Forests to replace invasive Kikar species with indigenous trees in the Ridge area to aid its ecological restoration.
Construction of the railway line from Pendra Road to Gevra Road in Chhattisgarh is progressing as per the approved timeline, with more than 90 per cent of earthworks and structural works completed or nearing completion as of January 2025. The project is being implemented with a focus on efficiency and minimal environmental disruption to facilitate seamless coal transport from the Korba region.
This was stated in a report submitted to the NGT on April 15, 2025 by Union government company Chhattisgarh East West Railway Ltd and engineering & construction corporation IRCON International Ltd.
The rail link is intended to address Northern Chhattisgarh’s inadequate transport infrastructure and support the growing movement of coal from Korba. With rising demand for coal — particularly for power plants in north-west and central India — the existing route via Gevra Road and the Champa branch line is proving insufficient, the report said.
Despite challenges such as land acquisition, environmental clearances and regulatory delays, the project remains on track for completion by December 2025. By January 2025, Rs 4,304.72 crore had been spent on the project, with the total cost escalating from the original estimate of Rs 4,970.11 crore to Rs 7,448.52 crore. This increase has been attributed to wildlife mitigation measures and other regulatory compliance costs.
The report also stated that alternative routes were assessed and deemed unfeasible. The Champa-Bilaspur route was ruled out due to heavy congestion at Bilaspur Yard, a major junction already handling substantial traffic from industrial centres such as Jharsuguda, Raigarh and Korba. Similarly, the Bilaspur-Anuppur route was found unsuitable due to persistent congestion.
The report warned that any shift to an alternate alignment would carry serious implications. As the East-West Rail Corridor is a bank-funded project promoted by the Chhattisgarh government, IRCON and coal company South Eastern Coalfields Ltd, altering the alignment at this stage would cause major cost overruns and delays. The project has already seen significant escalation in cost and any further deviation would increase the financial burden on the exchequer.
Following careful assessment, the current alignment was selected for its minimal impact on forest land and lower environmental risks. Any deviation would require fresh environmental clearances, prolonging execution timelines and complicating regulatory approvals.