TEN YEARS OF NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL

Established in 2010, National Green Tribunal founded as India’s first specialized forum in the form of a quasi-judicial body, a tribunal to handle environmental disputes. This article assesses its first ten founding years focusing on its contribution to environmental jurisprudence including its principal judgements in various complex cases such as the matters related to water pollution, waste management and sustainable development. It also examines the key challenges which are still persistent due to weak enforcement of orders and unfilled seats on the bench. Combining these strands together, this article asks what the NGTs first decade reveals about the promise and limits of tribunals aimed at access to environmental justice in India, while suggesting reforms to strengthen environmental jurisprudence.