New Delhi, Jul 23 (PTI) The National Green Tribunal has sought a response from authorities regarding the alleged illegal felling of over 1,000 trees in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida.

The bench asked the officials concerned, including the district magistrate of Gautam Buddha Nagar, to file their response at least one week before the next earing, which has been fixed for October 14.

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The tribunal was hearing a matter where it had taken suo motu cognisance of a newspaper report regarding the illegal cutting of trees by a private company.

After the matter surfaced on social media, the forest department team reached the spot and confiscated a truck full of axed trees, the report said.

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The bench, including NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, in its recent order said besides raising a "substantial issue relating to compliance of the environmental norms", the report also indicated violations made under the Environment Protection Act and the Uttar Pradesh Protection of Trees Act.

The tribunal impleaded as parties or respondents various authorities, including the DM, the Union environment ministry's regional office in Lucknow, the managing director of UP forest corporation and the principal chief conservator of forest.

"Let notice be issued to the above respondents for filing their response at least one week before the next date of hearing," the bench, also comprising judicial member Justice A K Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel, said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)