The Hindu Impact: NGT initiates suo motu proceedings in Kerala’s Chalakkudi tree-felling case

The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), New Delhi, has initiated suo motu proceedings in the felling and sale of teak trees in Chalakudy in Kerala for clearing the path for the State hill highway.The Bench, consisting of Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad, took note of a report titled Over 200 Teak Trees Illegally Axed in Chalakudy, which was published in The Hindu on June 22, 2026, while initiating the proceedings.The news item, noted the Bench, raised “substantial issues relating to compliance with the environmental norms and implementation of the provisions” of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

A preliminary investigation carried out by the Divisional Forest Officer of Flying Squad (Ernakulam) had found that the trees were felled along an 18-km stretch from Vellikulangara Junction to Vettila Pala bridge and sold for ₹8.52 lakh, against the assessed value of ₹41.55 lakh fixed by the Assistant Conservator of Forests (Social Forestry), Thrissur.

It was also found that the Forest Range Officer (Pariyaram) had issued a No Objection Certificate for the firm to transport the felled trees under the provisions of the Kerala Promotion of Tree Growth in Non-Forest Areas Act 2005. However, the Act specifies that a transport pass shall be issued to transport only those trees which are legally felled by the owner of the holding on which they are located. The circumstances under which the officials permitted the timber firm that purchased the trees to axe and transport them should be probed, the report had suggested.

The Bench has impleaded the Head of Forest Force, Kerala; Chief Conservator of Forests, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Integrated Regional Office, Bengaluru; and Member Secretary, Department of Environment and Forest, Kerala; as the respondents in the matter and directed them to file their affidavits before the Southern Zonal Bench of the Tribunal.The Bench also transferred the matter to the Southern Zonal Bench, Chennai, for appropriate further action and instructed that the matter shall be posted for consideration on August 31, 2026. Published - July 16, 2026 08:46 pm IST Read Comments Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit READ LATER SEE ALL Remove