PANCHKULA, HARYANA — A joint committee constituted by the NGT has reported that native forest tree species are largely missing from the 40.34 hectares of forest land diverted to the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) in Bir Ghaggar, Panchkula.
The report, dated August 28, 2025, followed an inspection of the land, which was handed over in 1998 along with 4,322 trees and 1,128 saplings of native species.
Forest Loss and Replacement
The committee confirmed that the original native species have been cleared and replaced with commercial tree species such as teak and horticultural crops like citrus fruits and sapota (chiku).
While the report confirms that the original forest species were “felled and removed,” the exact number of illegally felled trees could not be quantified because the land has been pulverized, levelled, and developed into gardens, leaving no old stumps visible.
Violation of Conditions, committee noted that the final approval for the diversion included a strict condition: “The forest land diverted shall be utilised only for plantation of trees and no construction will be undertaken over this land.” However, the RSSB has since cleared natural species and constructed built structures, resulting in a change of land use and violation of the original approval.