Parliamentary panel flags NGT staff shortages, case backlogs

A parliamentary standing committee has flagged critical gaps at the National Green Tribunal (NGT), including severe staffing shortages, reliance on contractual workers, weak digital infrastructure and prolonged case pendency. The panel, which tabled its report in Parliament during the monsoon session, found it unusual that the NGT still lacks a dedicated computer or IT section at a time when the government is pushing digitalisation.

The committee recommended establishing a dedicated IT section at all benches, filling vacancies of judicial and expert members, and creating a separate mechanism to track cases pending for over three years. It noted that as of June 30, 2026, 5,879 cases were pending out of 55,619 received since the NGT's inception in 2010. The highest pendency is at the Principal Bench in New Delhi (2,318 cases), followed by Pune, Chennai, Kolkata and Bhopal.

The panel also flagged weak enforcement of NGT orders due to dependence on outside authorities, and suggested stronger follow-up through action-taken reports. It noted a gap between public expectations and the tribunal's interventions on issues like Delhi's air crisis and illegal mining, urging timely and visible responses while respecting statutory limits and the Supreme Court's jurisdiction.