In a massive victory for en- vironmentalists, the Na- tional Green Tribunal (NGT) delivered a crushing verdict on the evening of October 31, 2025, legally se- curing the future of the Shankargarh Nagar Van, mere hours after the Free Press celebrated the park’s transformation in its morn- ing edition.

The NGT’s Central Zone Bench, disposing of Orig- inal Application No. 37/2025(CZ), ruled in favour of the applicant, Samarjeet Jadhav, and issued strict, mandatory directions to protect the green belt from commercial development.

JUDGMENT AND EFFECTS

The NGT’s final order en- sures that the State Govern- ment’s prior administrative decision to transfer a large parcel of the forest for tour- ism is legally quashed and permanently prohibited. The essential points of the judg- ment are :

• Maintain Forest Status : The NGT directed the state of Madhya Pradesh to maintain the status of for- est on the disputed 50.292 Hectares of land, prevent- ing its classification for non-forest use.
• Effect : This is the central di- rective that legally protects the area, which was once a quarry and then restored, from being commercialized as a tourism site.
• Prohibit Non-Forest Activ- ity: The Tribunal mandated that non-forest activity should not be permitted at Sankargarh Nagar Van.
• Effect : This halts the pro- posed commercial tourism project, reinforcing the State Counsel’s submission that the Government had taken a “conscious decision to abandon the proposed project.”
• Protection of Biodiversity : The Forest Department is directed to maintain the existing vegetation along with its biodiversity, which includes fauna also.
• Effect : It secures the area’s essential function as the “green lungs” for Dewas and preserves the ecolo- gical health of the park.
• Funded Plantation : The State Government must provide necessary funds to the Forest Department to carry out plantation of long-lasting multipurpose tree species of local origin in existing gaps.
• Effect : This ensures the park’s continued expan- sion and maintenance is a funded, official responsi- bility of the state, backing the efforts of the Green Army Team.
• No Tree Cutting : Respon- dents must ensure that no trees should be damaged or cut without due per- mission from the compet- ent authority.
• Effect: This provides im- mediate, strict protection against any unauthorized deforestation within the area.

Petitioner’s victory
The contentious issue cen- tered on the District Admin- istration’s decision to allot the restored land to the State Tourism Department for al- leged non-forest, commercial purposes. The NGT’s ruling not only saves the park from commercialisation but rein- forces the legal commitment to conservation in the spirit of the T. N. Godavarman case, guaranteeing the citizen-led greening of Shankargarh Hills is protected for generations.