Shri Justice Prakash Shrivastava
Hon'ble Chairman, NGT
Forward
It gives me immense pleasure to present NGT e-Journal 2026 Volume I. Since the publication of our inaugural e-Journal in 2024, this platform has steadily grown into an important resource for all those engaged with environmental law, policy, and governance in India. The National Green Tribunal was established with a clear and pressing mandate to provide expeditious and effective adjudication of disputes relating to environmental protection, conservation of forests and natural resources, and enforcement of legal rights pertaining to the environment. The e-Journal continues to serve as a bridge between the Tribunal's work and the wider public making our judgments, orders, and evolving environmental jurisprudence accessible to legal practitioners, policymakers, academicians, researchers, students, and every citizen who has a stake in the health of our environment.
The challenges confronting our natural environment have not diminished. Climate change, air and water pollution, deforestation, and the unregulated exploitation of natural resources continue to demand urgent and sustained attention from all institutions of governance. The Tribunal remains steadfast in its commitment to adjudicating these concerns with sensitivity, scientific rigor, and constitutional fidelity. The right to a clean and healthy environment, long recognized as an integral facet of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, continues to guide our approach in every matter brought before us.
Environmental governance, however, cannot rest on judicial intervention alone. It requires a culture of compliance, awareness, and shared responsibility among all stakeholders; the government, industry, civil society, and individual citizens alike. The e-Journal is designed to foster precisely this awareness by ensuring that the reasoning and outcomes of the Tribunal's decisions reach every corner of this conversation.
I extend my appreciation to the readers and users of this platform, whose engagement with the Tribunal's work reinforces the purpose it was designed to serve. I sincerely hope that this volume continues to contribute meaningfully to the cause of environmental justice and sustainable development in India.
