NGT Takes Suo Moto Cognizance on Rising Landslides in Darjeeling Hills

Kolkata: In an unusual and important step, the National Green Tribunal has taken suo motu cognizance of a newspaper report drawing attention to the rising threat of landslides and related disasters in the Darjeeling hills.

The NGT acted on its own after a detailed article published in The Indian Express on October 6, 2025, cautioned that unplanned urban development, the impacts of climate change and inadequate disaster management mechanisms are driving the region towards a serious environmental crisis.

As per reports, the Tribunal had formally registered the case on October 28, 2025. Authored by noted academic and former National Security Advisory Board member Prof. Mahendra P. Lama, the report highlighted how intense downpour earlier in October created havoc in Darjeeling, washing away the crucial Dudhia bridge over the Balason river, severing the Siliguri-mirik route and disrupting connectivity. Further, the rainfall also triggered massive landslides, blocked highways and caused a major loss to life and property.

The NGT observed that these issues suggest possible violations of the Environment Protection Act, the Disaster Management Act, and the EIA norms.

The Tribunal has issued notices to five major institutions, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; the West Bengal Pollution Control Board; the G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment; the the next hearing, scheduled for December 22, 2025, at the Eastern Zonal Bench in Kolkata. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA); and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. These agencies have been instructed to submit their action-taken reports or proposed future plans before.

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