Subscribe
At present there is no State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) / State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) existing in Delhi, according to a report filed by the Department of Environment, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), April 29, 2025 to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The tenure of the SEIAA / SEAC of Delhi expired on September 5, 2024. Since then, an expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has been dealing with cases related to the environmental clearances.
Till September 5, 2024, no environmental clearance has been issued to any mining lease / mining property in Delhi. "There was no application pending before SEIAA/SEAC with regard to seeking environmental clearance of mining lease projects."
The report was in compliance with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, January 16, 2025.
NGT had taken suo motu cognizance of a The Times of India article How sand miners laid road across Yamuna between Delhi and Ghaziabad dated November 30, 2024.
There is no loss of green cover in Puducherry, the Union Territory stated in a report filed before NGT on April 25, 2025.
The total forest cover (inside and outside recorded forest area) in Puducherry was 44.31 square kilometres, according to the State of Forest Report, 2023 prepared by the Forest Survey of India. Forest cover increased in the Union territory from 2001 to 2015, then decreased during 2017-2019 and displayed an increasing trend by 2021.
The probable factors responsible for fluctuation of forest cover and tree cover are climatic changes, including periodic cyclones, urbanisation and pollution, the government noted in the report. The factors led to biotic and abiotic changes, which influence or impact forest / tree cover. Biotic agents such as invasive alien flora and fauna entering the ecosystem, for instance, lead to either loss of the native species or reduction in their number and distribution over a period.
Plantation of indigenous tree species in the urban and rural areas is being taken up for the conservation of forest ecosystem and management of forests and tree cover in Puducherry. Awareness programmes are another way to enhance people participation in greening activities and community ownership.
An application was registered suo motu based on the news item titled India lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover since 2000 Global Forest Watch that appeared in the Indian Express newspaper on April 13, 2024.
There has been a decrease in forest cover of 1.55 sq m in 2023 in Goa, compared with the data of 2021, according to the report filed by Goa before NGT on April 25, 2025.
The reasons for this decrease include forest clearances, permitted and lawful tree felling for developmental activities such as the laying of railway lines, extension of national highways / roads, laying of electrical lines and projects of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
Also, the trees on private and government forest areas got damaged due to the occurrence of Tropical Cyclone Tauktae in May 2021.
As per the State of Forests Report of 2023, the total forest cover in Goa was 2,265.72 sq km, comprising 61.2 per cent of Goa's geographical area. “Data clearly indicates a consistent and steady increase in forest cover in Goa since 2001.”
The state of Goa and other authorities in Goa take several proactive measures to enforce all applicable statutory provisions for protecting and enhancing the state's forest cover. The report mentioned that the state strictly follows norms to protect its forests and tree cover. These include the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; Goa Preservation of Trees Act, 1984 and the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2006.
Regular patrolling is carried out in government forest areas. Check gates and protection camps are established at strategic locations to prevent illegal logging and transportation of illegal timbers. Compensatory afforestation carried out in lieu of forest division, assisted natural regeneration is being carried out under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority.
Other schemes implemented are intensification and forest management, social and urban forestry, forest conservation and development, rehabilitation of degraded forests under which plantations are created and maintained in forest areas for conserving and enriching the forest cover of the state.