NGT issues notice to government depeartments over unregulated construction

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed concern over haphazard and unregulated construction activities in Himachal in violation of norms and sought replies from various government agencies for the lack of proper monitoring and enforcement.

The NGT has taken suo motu notice of a news item headlined “Illegal constructions flourish in Himachal due to lack of proper checks” that appeared in The Tribune on August 8, 2025. It has observed that there seems to be the violation of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, in haphazard construction activity taking place in the hill state.

The NGT has issued notices to the state departments of Town and Country Planning, Urban Development, Environment, Science and Technology and Climate Change, Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dehradun.

It has directed that various government agencies should file their replies in the week before the next hearing by way of affidavits through lawyers. Those filing their replies directly have been asked to join virtually to assist the court during the next hearing.

“The news has raised substantial issues relating to the compliance with the environmental norms and the implementation of the provisions of scheduled enactment,” the NGT order of August 20 reads. The matter has now been listed for November 11.

The court observed that the matter relates to the unchecked growth of illegal construction in Himachal Pradesh due to the lack of proper monitoring and enforcement. The news had highlighted that though the state government had banned such construction in 2023 following flashfloods in Kullu and Shimla districts, the illegal practice continued unchecked, suggesting that the Town and Country Planning Department had not taken the directive seriously. Buildings located close to riverbanks were often swept away or severely damaged due to flashfloods.

It was stated that once the Town and Country Planning Department approved construction, there was little to no follow-up, and officials rarely inspected sites thereafter. It stated that half of the state falls in the seismic Zone-V, besides being prone to flashfloods and other natural hazards.