The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken decisive action regarding the illegal felling of 40 trees by the irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department along the Mangolpuri-Sultanpuri drain in New Delhi. In its order dated May 12, a bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Afroz Ahmad expressed dissatisfaction with the state forest and wildlife department for failing to address the violations of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994. The NGT highlighted that a complaint about the illegal felling was lodged on March 10, 2023, but only one hearing occurred on July 5, 2023, with no further action taken. The tribunal has now mandated the plantation of 400 saplings in the affected area and directed the compilation of data on all illegal tree felling complaints over the past five years. Additionally, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) was instructed to recover environmental compensation, and police were ordered to register an FIR under relevant laws, including Section 24 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994 and Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 for theft of trees. The police must investigate and report back to the concerned Judicial Magistrate within six months.