Kolkata, Oct 30 (NationPress) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has requested a comprehensive report from both the Union and West Bengal governments regarding the recurrent landslides affecting the hills of North Bengal, which disrupt normal life throughout the year.

A thorough hearing on this issue is scheduled at the NGT's eastern zonal branch in Kolkata on December 22. By that date, both the Union and state governments must present their reports to the tribunal.

The agencies required to provide reports include the Union Environment and Forest Ministry, National Disaster Management Authority, West Bengal Pollution Control Board, Govind Ballabh Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment, and the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology.

This tribunal's decision comes in light of severe rainfall and landslides that recently devastated the hills, Terai, and Dooars regions in North Bengal, resulting in multiple fatalities.

The NGT has taken suo motu cognizance of various media reports indicating that extensive deforestation and uncontrolled real estate development in the hills are primary contributors to these landslide disasters.

Moreover, the tribunal emphasized the significance of the North Bengal hills concerning national security and advocated for immediate corrective measures to avert such calamities.

Data from the Union government suggests that the West Bengal government may have disregarded warnings in Central reports about the rapid decrease in forest areas since 2011 in the Darjeeling district.

The latest India State of Forest Report (ISFR) for 2023 indicates a concerning trend, revealing that the forest area in the Darjeeling district shrank to 1,402.67 square kilometers from 2,289 square kilometers in 2011, marking a 31% decline over the years.