Back
2024 Supreme(Online)(NGT) 193
NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL NEW DELHI (PRINCIPAL BENCH)
Sudhir Agarwal, Judicial Member, Afroz Ahmad, Expert Member
Lal Ji Kumar – Appellant
Versus
Divisional Forest Officer-Nainital – Respondent
Original Application No. 709/2023|IA No. 272/2024
For the Appellants/Petitioners: None
For the Respondents: Mr. Deepak Bora, Ms. Saima Khatoon, Ms. Kahkashan Naseem, Mr. C S Joshi, Mr. Balendu Shekhar, Ms. Tanisha Samanta, Mr. Neeraj Kumar, Mr. Mukesh Verma, Ms. Vatsala Tripathi
NGT lacks jurisdiction over pure title/boundary disputes between revenue and forest lands, deferring to civil courts; limited to enforcing environmental laws against non-forest activities post-boundary resolution.
Headnote:(A) National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 - Schedule I - Forest Conservation Act, 1980 - Boundary dispute between revenue land and reserved forest land - Applicant sought demarcation of boundaries, installation of pillars with geo-coordinates, removal of encroachments on forest land - Joint Committee reports revealed ongoing dispute between revenue and forest departments regarding specific khasra numbers - Survey of India report indicated disputed area falls within reserved forest - Tribunal held that title disputes involving land ownership are to be adjudicated by civil courts under common law, not NGT - NGT jurisdiction limited to enforcing provisions of scheduled enactments like Forest Conservation Act against non-forest activities without permission - Premature to order encroachment removal without final boundary determination - State directed to resolve boundary dispute expeditiously based on Survey of India report and take lawful action if encroachment found. (Paras 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
(B) Environmental Jurisdiction - Limitations - NGT cannot adjudicate pure title disputes but can prevent violations of environmental laws; aggrieved parties retain civil remedies for ownership claims. (Paras 17, 22)
Facts of the case:
Applicant filed application alleging dismantling of boundary pillars and encroachments on forest land surrounding revenue village by unknown persons, seeking precise demarcation and removal of encroachments. Joint Committee, Tehsildar, and Survey of India conducted surveys revealing boundary discrepancies between revenue maps and forest records, with Survey of India opining disputed area as reserved forest.
Findings of Court:
State directed to take final decision on boundary dispute within two months based on Survey of India report; if any part found as reserved forest with encroachment, remove in accordance with law. Compliance report by 15.12.2024. Order does not preclude civil remedies for land disputes.
Issues: Whether NGT can direct demarcation and encroachment removal amid unresolved boundary/title dispute between revenue and forest lands; scope of NGT jurisdiction over forest violations versus civil title adjudication.
Ratio Decidendi: NGT enforces scheduled environmental laws against non-forest activities but defers pure title/boundary disputes to civil courts; state must finalize boundaries scientifically before enforcement actions.
Result: Original Application disposed of with directions.
| Table of Content |
|---|
| 1. application seeks demarcation of revenue-forest boundary. (Para 1 , 2) |
| 2. joint committee reports boundary dispute between revenue and forest records. (Para 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8) |
| 3. survey of india confirms disputed area as forest land. (Para 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14) |
| 4. parties contest title; civil court remedy available. (Para 15 , 16 , 17) |
| 5. ngt enforces forest conservation act violations. (Para 18 , 19 , 20) |
| 6. state to resolve boundary dispute and remove encroachments. (Para 21 , 22 , 23 , 24) |
ORDER
1. Mr. Lal Ji Kumar has filed present application under the provisions of National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 (hereinafter referred to as ‘NGT Act, 2010’) for issue of directions to the concerned authorities to demarcate boundary line between Revenue and Forest land precisely and scientifically, by establishing boundary pillars with precise geo coordinates according to the approved/notified Revenue Maps, remove encroachments on forest land and take possession of the same.
2. Applicant has stated that Gethiya, a small Revenue village having area approximately 5 to 7 hectares is located on a hill top in Nainital, Uttarakhand. It is surrounded on all its side by the Reserved Forest. Some unknown persons have dismantled boundary pillars demarcating boundary lines between forest land and revenue land and made encroachments over forest land including Khasra numbers 421, 423 and 424. Complaints were made to the concerned authorities but no action has been taken.
3. Complaint was registered on 28.11.2023 and Tribunal found it appropriate to issue notices to respondents impleaded in Original Application (hereinafter referred to as ‘OA’) i.e. Divisional Forest Officer, Nainital Forest Division, District Magistrate, Nainital and Commissioner/Secretary Board of Revenue, Uttarakhand. Tribunal also found it appropriate to obtain a factual report for which it constituted a Joint Committee comprising representative of Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board (hereinafter referred to as ‘UKPCB’); Divisional Forest Officer, Nainital (hereinafter referred to as ‘DFO, Nainital’); and District Magistrate, Nainital (hereinafter referred to as ‘DM, Nainital’).
4. Committee was required to submit report within 2 months.
5. Joint Committee report was submitted through UK PCB which stated as under:-
“2-
राजस्व अभिलेखों के अनुसार ्ቇाम गेठिया प ट्टी िवाली के खसरा नम्बर
397, 421, 423, 424 397 की खतौनी के अवलोकन से खसरा नम्बर रकदा
0307 , 421 0.135 , 423 0.129 03 है. रकबा है. रकबा है. कुल खसरा नम्बरी
0.571 का रकबा हेक्टेयर वतमत ान समय में नॉन ज्येड०ए० खतौनी खाता संख्या
70 09(3)3 में सरकार उ्ቈराखण्ड ्ቦेणी वंजर के रूप में दज तअभिलेख है जो मौके
पर मंजर स्स्ितत में ही है जो कक वास्तववक स्वरूप में है। स्जन पर ककसी ्ቚकार का कोई अतत्ቅमण होना नही पाया गया। संयुक्त सवे्षण के दौरान वन वविाग
397, 421, 423 के द्वारा िी खसरा नम्बरों को अपने ्षे्ቔ से बाहर होना बताया
424 गया है। परन्तु खसरा संख्या में वन वविाग के द्वारा अपनी सीमा के
424 अन्तगत होना बताया गया जबकक राजस्व वविाग के अनुसार खसरा नम्बर
1.097 01 (
रकया हेक्टेयर ्ቦेणी क) सं्ቅमणीय अधिकार वाले िूभमिरों के
अधिकार में हंसा द्ቈ आठद खातेदारों के नाम पर दज त है। हाल बन्दोबस्ती नक्श े
424 के अनुसार खसरा नम्बर की सीमा यन वविाग की सीमा से भमलान करती
08 09 424 है स्जसमे वन वविाग के वपलर संख्या व खसरा नम्बर के बाहर स्स्ित है।
2-
वन वविाग द्वारा अवगत कराया गया है कक वन वविाग के नक्शे के अनुसार
424 05 खसरा नम्वर मनोरा रेंज अन्तगत कुररया कम्पाटत संख्या के अन्तगत आ रहा है। इसके अततररक्त उप ्ቚिागीय वनाधिकारी नैनीताल वन ्ቚिाग
197/13-1 15.01.2024 नैनीताल द्वारा अपने कायातलय प्ቔ संख्या ठदनांक से , अवगत कराया है कक पूव तमें िी इस िूभम के संबंि में वववाद उत्पन्न हुआ िा स्जसमें ्ቚिागीय वनाधिकारी नैनीताल वन ्ቚिाग नैनीताल के द्वारा अपने प्ቔ
2554/27-19 28.01.2021 संख्या ठदनांक से सवे्षण का काय त िारतीय सवे्षण वविाग से कराये जाने हेतु प्ቔ ्ቚेवित ककया गया िा। प्ቔ की छाया्ቚतत -
संलग्न है। (संनमकक)
3- 424 वन वविाग के द्वारा खसरा संख्या में सीमा वववाद के संबंि में सवे हेतु
24.01.2024 ठदनांक की ततधि तनयत की गयी िी। स्जसमें सवेयर के द्वारा िी
424 अवगत कराया गया कक
