Pune: The National Green Tribunal's bench in Pune has directed a builder to restore the environmental damage allegedly caused to a housing society in Khandala due to illegal hill cutting and tree felling.

The western zonal bench of judicial member U D Salvi and expert member Ranjan Chatterjee asked the Mumbai-based builder to deposit Rs 40 lakh with Lonavala Municipal Council for the restoration work. It also restrained the developer from resorting to any further tree felling or hill cutting.