NGT disposes plea on Bijwasan rail project 95-acre land challenge

The National Green Tribunal has disposed of a plea challenging construction on about 95 acres of land for the Bijwasan rail project in Dwarka, citing a March 2026 Supreme Court judgement that already covered the issue.

The applicant Naveen Solanki had argued that the 95 acres were part of a larger 125-acre forest area, with about 13,000 trees, and needed protection under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The tribunal noted the Supreme Court had found the land was agricultural land acquired in 1986, allotted for the Bijwasan Integrated Passenger Terminal, and was not notified as forest or deemed forest in the Master Plan 2021.

The NGT, in its August 7 order, directed that safeguards from the Supreme Court order apply to the 95 acres, including maximum efforts for tree transplantation, preservation of existing trees, and compensatory afforestation before work begins.