Great Nicobar project compensatory afforestation (India)
- Communities and civil society CFR-LA (forest rights network): Found more than 70% of 2,479 plantations in 10 states on forest land contrary to the rules, and all 52 plantations examined in three states on community land given to village councils (2017).
- Communities and civil society Villagers of Bakingia: Said nobody had spoken to them before 40,000 saplings were planted on about 200 hectares while the claim of 84 families was pending.
About 130 km² of tropical forest on Great Nicobar island was set aside for an airport, port, power plant and city, with the compensatory afforestation planned about 2,400 km away in Haryana. On 20 June 2023 a Haryana village's land was placed under protection, and the state's mining department auctioned a quarter of it the same day.
As reported by The Tribune; the forest area is given as 130 km².
Status As of April 2025 (latest verified source): the National Green Tribunal had opened a suo motu case on the Rajawas land; no ruling found.
- Villagers of Bakingia (84 families) — About 200 ha were planted with 40,000 saplings while their community rights claim was pending; they said nobody had spoken to them (a separate compensatory planting site in Kandhamal).
What happened
According to The Tribune and The Wire, about 130 km² of tropical forest on Great Nicobar island was being set aside for an airport, a port, a power plant and a city. The compensatory afforestation for this diversion was to be carried out in the state of Haryana, about 2,400 km from the island.
In Rajawas village in Haryana, 506 acres of land were placed under protection on 20 June 2023. On the same day the state's mining department put a quarter of this land up for auction. The department said it had not known that the land was protected forest. The National Green Tribunal opened a case on its own motion (suo motu). The Tribune reported on 11 April 2025 that the Great Nicobar swap was under scrutiny.
The record also holds figures on India's compulsory afforestation fund (CAMPA) in other places. A committee set up by the Supreme Court reported in 2025 that 26,001 crore rupees of the 38,516 crore approved in 2019–2024 had been spent, which it put at 67.5%. In Uttarakhand the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) found that the fund had been used for iPhones, laptops, a refrigerator, renovation and a tiger safari. The state said the diversion was about 1.8% of the fund and an error of judgment. On 19 March 2025 the Supreme Court described the deviations as trivial in nature and closed the file. A 2013 CAG report found that 7% of the area due to be planted in 2006–2012 had been planted.
A 2017 report by CFR-LA (Community Forest Rights-Learning and Advocacy), a forest rights network, found that more than 70% of 2,479 plantations in 10 states had been made on forest land contrary to the rules, and that all 52 plantations examined in three states were on community land that had been given to village councils. In Bakingia village, 40,000 saplings were planted on about 200 hectares while a community rights claim by 84 families was pending; villagers said nobody had spoken to them.
- 2013CAG report: 7% of the area due to be planted in 2006–2012 had been planted
- 2015Planting at Bakingia village, Kandhamal, on about 200 ha while a community rights claim by 84 families was pending (period given as 2015 onwards)
- 2017CFR-LA report on 2,479 plantations in 10 states
- 202320 June: 506 acres at Rajawas, Haryana, placed under protection; a quarter auctioned by the state mining department the same day; National Green Tribunal opens a suo motu case
- 202519 March: Supreme Court closes the Uttarakhand CAMPA file, calling the deviations trivial in nature; 11 April: The Tribune reports the Great Nicobar swap is under scrutiny; Supreme Court committee reports 26,001 of 38,516 crore rupees spent in 2019–2024
What was said
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
Said it did not know the land was protected forest.
The TribuneReported that the land was placed under protection on 20 June 2023 and a quarter of it was auctioned for mining the same day.
The TribuneFound the fund used for iPhones, laptops, a refrigerator, renovation and a tiger safari.
Said the diversion was about 1.8% of the fund and an error of judgment.
Described the deviations as trivial in nature and closed the file on 19 March 2025.
Found more than 70% of 2,479 plantations in 10 states on forest land contrary to the rules, and all 52 plantations examined in three states on community land given to village councils (2017).
Said nobody had spoken to them before 40,000 saplings were planted on about 200 hectares while the claim of 84 families was pending.
How it looked
Shown
- The forest set aside on Great Nicobar was to be compensated by afforestation in HaryanaAs reported by The Tribune and The Wire · The Tribune
- The Uttarakhand fund diversion was about 1.8% of the fund and an error of judgmentState of Uttarakhand
Recorded
- Forest set aside on Great Nicobar: about 130 km²; compensatory planting site in Haryana about 2,400 km away
- Rajawas, Haryana: 506 acres placed under protection on 20 June 2023; a quarter of the land auctioned for mining the same day; the mining department said it had not known the land was protected forest
- Supreme Court committee, 2025: 26,001 of 38,516 crore rupees approved in 2019–2024 spent (67.5%)
- Uttarakhand: CAG found the fund used for iPhones, laptops, a refrigerator, renovation and a tiger safari; Supreme Court closed the file on 19 March 2025
- CFR-LA, 2017: more than 70% of 2,479 plantations in 10 states on forest land contrary to the rules
Who gained
Reached nature or the ground
Gained elsewhere
Responses on record
- haryana-mining-dept (2023–2025): Said it did not know the land was protected forest. · The Tribune
- uttarakhand-gov (2022–2025): Said the diversion was about 1.8% of the fund and an error of judgment.
- india-supreme-court (2025-03-19): Described the deviations as trivial in nature and closed the file.
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
- OngoingRajawas land (suo motu)National Green Tribunal · Administrative · National Green Tribunal (on its own motion) →
The tribunal opened a case on its own motion after the Rajawas land was placed under protection and a quarter of it was auctioned for mining on the same day (20 June 2023). The case was recorded as ongoing; no ruling found. The Tribune
- 2025-03-19Outcome not on recordUttarakhand compensatory afforestation fund diversionSupreme Court of India · Administrative · → State of Uttarakhand
After the CAG found the fund used for iPhones, laptops, a refrigerator, renovation and a tiger safari, the court described the deviations as trivial in nature and closed the file on 19 March 2025. The court imposed no penalty; the state said it had started disciplinary action against some staff.
Insurers
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
- Disputed Were compensatory plantations made on land and in a way that the rules allowed?
Court
- Unclear Uttarakhand compensatory afforestation fund diversion: outcome not on record.
Accounts
Record
- None on record Uttarakhand: no institution or person was recorded as paying a fine; the court imposed no penalty and the state said it had started disciplinary action against some staff.
- Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: LiveLaw reported in February 2026 that the National Green Tribunal did not interfere with the environmental clearance for the Great Nicobar project, citing strategic importance, and mentioned about one million trees; this could not be checked against the original or confirmed.
Did the harm stop?
The case before the National Green Tribunal on the Rajawas land was recorded as ongoing.
Who paid?
Not established in the record.
Sources
Press and investigations
- Great Nicobar swap under scanner as Haryana auctions forest land for miningThe Tribune · 2025-04-11
- NGT, environmental clearance, Great Nicobar Island projectLiveLaw · 2026-02-16
Connected cases
- India CAMPA compensatory afforestation fund India · 2006–2025
- Haryana state mining department (Public authority) — here: State body that auctioned part of the Rajawas land; there: Auctioned part of protected land at Rajawas on 20 June 2023
- National Green Tribunal (India) (Court) — here: Tribunal that opened a suo motu case on Rajawas; there: Took the Rajawas matter up on its own motion
- Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Public authority) — here: Auditor that reported on the compensatory afforestation fund; there: Auditor: found misuse in Uttarakhand; 2013 audit of planting
- Supreme Court of India (Court) — here: Court that closed the Uttarakhand fund file; there: Closed the Uttarakhand file on 19 March 2025; appointed committee
- Government of Uttarakhand (Government) — here: State whose fund use the CAG examined; there: State government; used fund money for consumer goods
- Community Forest Rights-Learning and Advocacy (CFR-LA) (NGO) — here: Forest rights network that reported on plantations; there: Forest-rights network that produced the 2017 plantation report
- CAG audit finds 12 of 44 Ganga sewage plants discharge untreated water India · date not stated
- Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Public authority) — here: Auditor that reported on the compensatory afforestation fund; there: audit body that found the untreated discharge
- CAG found delays in 26 of 46 Namami Gange schemes in 2017 India · 2017–2026
- Comptroller and Auditor General of India (Public authority) — here: Auditor that reported on the compensatory afforestation fund; there: Auditor that found delays and untreated discharges
- Expert panel says hydropower amplified 2013 Uttarakhand flood India · 2013
- Supreme Court of India (Court) — here: Court that closed the Uttarakhand fund file; there: halted 24 hydropower schemes
- India's Supreme Court ordered evictions of about 1.18 million families, then stayed them India · 2008
- Supreme Court of India (Court) — here: Court that closed the Uttarakhand fund file; there: Ordered the evictions, then stayed its order
- India's Supreme Court recalls environmental ruling at developers' request India · date not stated
- Supreme Court of India (Court) — here: Court that closed the Uttarakhand fund file; there: Court that recalled the ruling
- MV Rak Carrier coal and oil spill (Mumbai) India · 2011–2016
- National Green Tribunal (India) (Court) — here: Tribunal that opened a suo motu case on Rajawas; there: Tribunal that found the ship not seaworthy and ordered payments
- Thoothukudi Sterlite copper smelter protest shooting India · 2018–2024
- Supreme Court of India (Court) — here: Court that closed the Uttarakhand fund file; there: Court that dismissed Vedanta's appeal and review petition