The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken a firm stance on environmental compensation in Bhopal. The Central Zone Bench directed the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department’s social forestry wing to plant 7,000 trees by September 30, 2026, as compensation for more than 700 trees felled during construction work linked to a cricket stadium and associated road project.
The order was passed by a bench comprising Judicial Member Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and Expert Member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi. It came while hearing a petition filed by environmentalist Nitin Saxena against the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation (MPRDC) and other authorities. The trees were cut in the Neelbad–Nathu Barkheda area on the outskirts of Bhopal, which falls within the catchment of the Bhoj Wetland — a Ramsar site of international importance.
The tribunal directed a 10-fold compensatory plantation (700 × 10 = 7,000 trees). It emphasised that the exercise must be genuine compensatory afforestation and that the survival of the plants must be ensured (reports indicate the bench stressed high or up to 100% survival). Officials have also been asked to submit an action-taken report along with photographs of the plantation.
Forest department officials informed the bench that the required plantation had been delayed earlier due to lack of budgetary provision and suitable land. Funds amounting to around ₹24.5 lakh had been deposited by MPRDC for compensatory afforestation. With funds now allocated and the monsoon season underway, preparations are complete and work is underway. The tribunal fixed a clear deadline of September 30 for completion.
Some reports note that preferred native species such as Kachnar, Peepal, Imli and Bargad should be planted. The case highlights ongoing concerns about large-scale tree felling for infrastructure projects in ecologically sensitive zones and the importance of timely, effective compensatory measures.
This order reinforces the principle that development projects must not come at the irreversible cost of green cover, especially near protected wetlands. Authorities now have a short window to fulfil the directive during the current planting season.