The National Green Tribunal has disposed of a petition alleging illegal activities and encroachments in the Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, noting that the matter is already being heard by the Himachal Pradesh High Court.
The order was issued by the tribunal’s Principal Bench in New Delhi on March 18 in a case filed by Milkhi Ram Sharma against the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and others.
During the hearing, it was pointed out that the same issue is part of an ongoing public interest litigation pending before the High Court since 2017, including references to a recent order passed in January 2026.
Taking this into account, the tribunal observed that once a constitutional court is dealing with a matter, parallel proceedings should not continue. It cited a 2024 ruling of the Supreme Court of India supporting this principle.
Accordingly, the tribunal disposed of the plea, allowing the petitioner to pursue the matter before the High Court. All related pending applications were also closed.
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