NGT Orders Recovery of ₹2.65 Crore from BHU in Illegal Tree Felling Case

VARANASI — The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a stern directive in the ongoing case regarding the illegal felling of trees at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), ordering the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to finalize the recovery of ₹2.65 crore in environmental compensation within three months.

Tribunal’s Strict Timeline

The latest order was passed on July 7 by an NGT bench led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Afroz Ahmad.

• The tribunal’s intervention follows a previous directive from August 2025, which had already tasked the UPPCB with assessing and recovering compensation within a three-month window.

• Due to the UPPCB’s failure to complete the process within that original timeframe, petitioner Advocate Saurabh Tiwari filed a compliance petition, which brought the matter back before the tribunal.

Compensation Assessment

During the proceedings, the UPPCB confirmed to the bench that the environmental compensation amount has been officially calculated.

• The total recovery amount, exceeding ₹2.65 crore, is linked to the destruction of 33 trees at the university.

• The board informed the tribunal that the formal recovery process is already underway, and the NGT has now mandated that all final actions be concluded within the next three months.