Srinagar — The Jammu & Kashmir government has categorically denied allegations of tree felling in Pulwama’s Newa Karewas region for the proposed National Institute of Technology (NIT) campus, calling the claims “premature and factually incorrect.”
The clarification came in response to a petition filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) by an activist Raja Muzaffar Bhat, from Budgam who alleged that the government was planning to cut down a large number of green trees for the construction of the new campus.
At a hearing on August 1, 2025, the Principal Bench of the NGT, headed by Justice Prakash Shrivastava, reviewed the affidavits submitted by NIT Srinagar and the Deputy Commissioner of Pulwama. Both submissions confirmed that no land has yet been allotted, transferred, or handed over for the campus project in the Newa Karewas or any other location in Pulwama.
“There is no question of tree felling or ecological degradation as claimed. The petition is premature and lacks any factual basis,” the counsel for NIT Srinagar submitted in a sworn affidavit dated July 22, 2025.
The Deputy Commissioner of Pulwama echoed this position in a separate affidavit filed on July 24, 2025, clarifying that any project, whenever undertaken, would be carried out only after obtaining all necessary environmental clearances and in full compliance with regulatory norms.
NIT Srinagar further stated that it remains fully committed to environmental conservation and will not undertake any construction activity without comprehensive due diligence.
After reviewing the statements and evidence, the NGT dismissed the petition, terming it “premature” but granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the Tribunal again in the future if a legitimate cause of action arises.
The government’s response aims to allay growing public concerns over potential damage to the fragile Karewa ecosystem, which is known for its unique soil structure and agricultural significance. Environmentalists and civil society members had raised alarms after reports of the NIT campus project surfaced, fearing unregulated development could lead to long-term ecological harm.
For now, authorities have assured that no physical or legal steps have been taken to initiate the campus construction and that transparency and environmental safeguards will be upheld if and when the project moves forward.
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