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NGT orders probe into Radha Soami Beas’s alleged illegal expansion work.
MCD report shows Bawana landfill exceeds capacity, seeks corrective plan.
Cricket associations reprimanded for delay in submitting water usage data.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) October 14, 2025 took up the application filed by the residents of Ghaneta, Dhoran, Balla, Paraur and Darang villages of Kangra district in Himachal Pradesh on the alleged "rapid and illegal expansion work" being carried out by Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) Paraur.
The tribunal directed notice to be issued to the state of Himachal Pradesh through the secretary, department of environment, science technology and climate change; district magistrate, Kangra and Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board (HPPCB). The authorities have been directed to file their response within two months.
The NGT also directed the constitution of a joint committee to verify the factual position and take remedial action. The joint committee will comprise representatives from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), HPPCB and Kangra district magistrate. The committee has been directed to undertake visits to the site, look into the grievances, verify the factual position and take appropriate remedial action by following due course of law and submit a report within two months.
The organisation has been expanding its premises over the past few years by acquiring land of local people through various illegal and coercive means, thereby creating social tension, environmental imbalance and legal violations in our area, the application had stated.
Trees have been illegally felled, debris dumped and greenery on the floodplain of Tahal Khad stream has been destroyed and dug out. The organisation has carried out large-scale deforestation, ecological destruction, soil erosion and land conversion. There is evidence of change in the direction of Tahal Khad and Nala based on satellite images, stated the application.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) filed its report on Bawana sanitary landfill facility (SLF) before NGT on October 13, 2025. It stated that the existing volume of the SLF is 2.68 million cubic metres and this exceeds the approved capacity mentioned in the Delhi Pollution Control Committee consent order, which is 2.268 million cubic metres.
The existing volume includes the combustible fraction of the municipal solid waste (MSW) that was stacked at the landfill site prior to the commissioning of the waste-to-energy (WtE) plant at Narela.
The intake of waste at the facility began in 2011, whereas the WtE plant became operational in January 2017. During the intervening period, only the biodegradable waste was processed through the composting facility, while the non-biodegradable fraction (dry waste), which was supposed to be processed into refuse-derived fuel through pelletisation, was instead stacked at the SLF.
SLF is intended solely for the disposal of residual inert matter (MSW processing rejects) and not for dry waste.
MCD is pursuing the matter with the concessionaire, seeking an action plan for the disposal of the waste dumped at the SLF and for reducing the height of the landfill, if found to exceed the permissible limits.
The concessionaire stated October 8, 2025 that the plan of action to undertake height correction and partial capping of SLF and the final capping will be submitted to MCD along with timelines in due course.
The MCD report also contained information on the Singhola site. After the collapse of SLF Ghazipur in September 2017, a piece of land measuring 7.2 acres was allotted on a temporary basis for two years in April 2018 at Singhola Khampur village for diverting / disposing of the drain silt by DDA to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation. By July 2022, around 900,000 tonnes of silt had accumulated at the site.
The silt was deposited by the Shahdara north and Shahdara south zones of MCD. PWD and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department of Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi also deposited drain silt at the site.
As further dumping would have caused the risk of sliding / slipping silt towards the adjoining area, therefore dumping of silt was stopped at the site in July 2022. MCD awarded the work for bio-mining and disposal of the stacked silt at the site on November 1, 2024. The entire quantity of stacked silt at the site was removed in May 2025.
However, owing to the urgency of pre-monsoon de-silting operations, MCD had to temporarily resume deposition of silt at the site in July 2025. To avoid the formation of fresh mounds, MCD is in the process of establishing a facility for daily processing and disposal of the incoming silt.
Not all cricket associations have submitted their reply on the monthly and yearly use of water required for the maintaining the cricket grounds, the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) informed NGT October 13, 2025.
Counsel appearing for CGWA submitted that replies have been received only from the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, Punjab Cricket Association, Vidarbha Cricket Association, Cricket Association of Bengal and Mumbai Cricket Association.
Counsel appearing for the Haryana State Cricket Association also stated that he has e-mailed a copy of the reply to the counsel for CGWA. The replies on behalf of the other cricket associations have not been received by the counsel for CGWA till now. Hence, they are directed to file the same and furnish a copy thereof to counsel for the CGWA positively within four weeks. NGT will next hear the case on January 16, 2026.
On March 19, 2025, the tribunal had directed the cricket associations to file additional replies disclosing monthly and yearly volumes of water used for irrigating the cricket ground, and proportion of sewage treatment plant-treated and freshwater supplied from municipality / urban local bodies or any other source.
NGT had directed July 17, 2025 submission of requisite information to the counsel for CGWA, who was further directed to compile the information disclosed in those replies and submit the information in tabulated form.