In a rare and significant move, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has taken suo motu cognisance of a newspaper article highlighting the growing risk of landslides and disasters in the Darjeeling hills.

The Tribunal initiated proceedings based on a detailed report published in The Indian Express on October 6, 2025, which warned that poor urban planning, climate change, and weak disaster management systems have pushed the region towards a severe environmental crisis.

The NGT formally registered the case on October 28, 2025, marking what experts call a historic intervention, as the Tribunal seldom acts without a formal petition. The decision underscores a heightened national sensitivity to the environmental and security vulnerabilities of the Himalayas.

The report, authored by noted academ

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