Jaipur: The National Green Tribunal’s Central Zone Bench has issued notices to the Union and Rajasthan govts and ordered a probe into allegations that reserved forest land diverted for a Jaipur road project was later used for commercial purposes in breach of forest clearance conditions.Hearing an application filed by Hemraj Meena, the bench of Justice Sheo Kumar Singh, judicial member, and Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, expert member, Monday said the case raised a substantial environmental issue and directed the respondents to file replies within four weeks.The application said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had in April 2009 approved diversion of 0.858 hectares of reserved forest land in Chak Dhula and Bindayaka villages for construction of a 200-foot-wide road from Apex Hospital to the Jagatpura railway overbridge. It alleged that only a 160-foot-wide road was built, leaving part of the diverted forest land vacant.Meena alleged that the land’s legal status was later changed in revenue records and entered in the names of the JDA and PWD as “Gair Mumkin Sadak”, contrary to the diversion conditions, which required the land to retain its forest status even after diversion.“Parts of the diverted land are now being used for commercial establishments, in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and the conditions under which the diversion was approved,” the applicant said.The tribunal formed a three-member joint committee comprising representatives of the MoEFCC’s Integrated Regional Office, Jaipur, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Jaipur, and the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board. It directed the panel to inspect the site and submit a factual and action-taken report within four weeks.A senior official said, “The Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board will act as the nodal agency for coordination.”In a connected interim application, the NGT directed the regional forest officer concerned to personally ensure that only activities permitted under the diversion approval are allowed and to stop any activity beyond the approved permissions.The matter has been listed for further hearing on Sept 7, 2026.
