Tribunal adjudication cannot be delegated to expert committees in environmental disputes under the National Green Tribunal Act.

The National Green Tribunal's statutory power to hear environmental disputes, including enforcement of environmental norms, restitution and compensation, had to be exercised by the Tribunal itself. Expert committees could assist with fact-finding and data collection, but they could not replace adjudication or be used to dispose of proceedings that required judicial determination. Because the matter fell within the Tribunal's core jurisdiction under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, referral to a committee was impermissible. The impugned order was therefore set aside and the original application restored for hearing before the competent Tribunal bench.

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Issues: (i) Whether the National Green Tribunal could dispose of proceedings under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 by relegating the parties to a committee instead of adjudicating the dispute itself.

Analysis: The proceeding concerned claims for enforcement of environmental norms, restitution and compensation, all of which fell within the Tribunal's jurisdiction under Sections 14 and 15 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010. Expert committees constituted by a court or tribunal may assist in fact-finding and provide data, but they do not replace adjudication. The statutory scheme vests the power to hear and determine such disputes in the Tribunal itself, and those core adjudicatory functions cannot be assigned to administrative committees. The prior monitoring exercise already undertaken by the Tribunal also showed that the matter required continued judicial determination rather than referral for decision by a committee.

Conclusion: The reference of the dispute to a committee was impermissible and the impugned order could not stand; the matter had to be decided by the Tribunal itself.

Final Conclusion: The appeal succeeded, the Tribunal's order was set aside, and the original application was restored for hearing by the competent Tribunal bench from the stage at which it had reached before the impugned order.

Ratio Decidendi: Adjudicatory functions conferred on the National Green Tribunal by statute cannot be delegated to administrative expert committees, which may only assist the Tribunal in fact-finding.

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