The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to conclude proceedings within the next three months for recovering environmental compensation exceeding Rs 2.65 crore from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) over the illegal felling of 33 trees on its Varanasi campus.
In an order dated July 7, which was made public on Thursday, a Bench comprising NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad noted that the UPPCB had already assessed environmental compensation amounting to Rs 2,65,06,877.08 for the unauthorised tree cutting and that proceedings to recover the amount were underway.
According to a PTI report, the tribunal extended the deadline after observing that the pollution control board had failed to comply with its earlier August 2025 direction to complete the recovery process within three months.
"Though the UPPCB has not carried out the direction of the Tribunal to complete the proceedings within three months... considering the circumstances disclosed, we extend the time further and direct the UPPCB to complete the proceedings concerning the levy of environmental compensation," the tribunal said in its order.
The matter originates from a petition filed by advocate Saurabh Tiwari, who alleged that trees were being illegally cut within BHU's 1,300-acre campus.
Following the petition, the NGT constituted a joint committee, which found that 33 trees had been felled without authorisation. The trees included seven sandalwood trees and 26 others belonging to different species.
Based on the committee's findings, the tribunal, in August last year, directed the UPPCB to assess the environmental compensation and complete recovery proceedings within a three-month period.
After the deadline expired without any action, Tiwari approached the NGT through an execution application seeking implementation of its earlier order.
According to the petitioner, the UPPCB had informed him that the recovery process could not be initiated because of certain orders passed by the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court.
During the latest hearing, however, counsel representing the pollution control board informed the tribunal that the environmental compensation had now been quantified and that the recovery proceedings had commenced.
The tribunal also took note of a report submitted by the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), which stated that BHU had carried out compensatory afforestation by planting 978 trees in 2025. During an inspection, 859 of those saplings were found to be surviving and in healthy condition.
While acknowledging the progress made in compensatory plantation, the NGT directed the UPPCB to complete the recovery proceedings for the environmental compensation within the extended three-month deadline.
