New Delhi, Nov 18 (UNI) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Bar Association has approached the Supreme Court seeking urgent directions to fill vacant posts of judicial and expert members at the NGT’s principal and zonal benches, warning that the functioning of the environmental tribunal is at serious risk of grinding to a halt.
The petition filed by the NGT Bar Association of the Principal Bench, New Delhi, pointed out that although Section 4(1) of the NGT Act mandates at least 10 judicial members and 10 expert members, the tribunal is currently operating with only four judicial members and six expert members against a sanctioned strength of 20 members each.
The plea contends that the delayed appointments, combined with impending retirements of key members, will make it impossible to meet the statutory quorum, leading to what it terms a “virtual shutdown” of the tribunal.
With the deficit in membership, NGT benches are often being constituted by linking members from different zonal benches through video conferencing to complete the quorum, the petition stated. This arrangement, it submitted, causes serious inconvenience to litigants and respondents involved in sensitive environmental matters.
The petition has relied on earlier Supreme Court orders emphasizing the need for tribunals to maintain a balanced and adequate composition for effective adjudication.
It also recalled the 2023 and 2025 orders by which the apex court had extended the tenure of judicial and expert members to ensure continuity amid rising vacancies.
The plea notes that although the union government appointed two judicial and four expert members on August 2, 2025, only four expert members have joined so far. Retirement of expert members imminent and two more departures are expected soon, the petition adds.
Dr Afroz Ahmad, expert member, is set to retire on November 13, 2025 and Dr A Menthol Vel, expert member, is retiring on January 14, 2026.
Calling the NGT a specialised statutory body tasked with safeguarding the environment, a key facet of the Right to Life under Article 21 the petition warns, “The lack of timely appointment of judicial and expert members will not only hamper progress of cases relating to important environmental issues, but will cause a virtual shutdown of the tribunal.”
The petition seeks the Supreme Court’s immediate intervention to direct the Centre to complete the appointment process so that adjudication of critical environmental matters does not suffer. The matter is expected to be listed for hearing soon.
