Supreme Court Questions Delhi Government on Illegal Tree Cutting in Ridge Area
New Delhi, June 26: The Supreme Court of India has criticized the Delhi Government for allowing the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to illegally cut trees in the Ridge area of the city. The court questioned why the Forest Department did not take any action despite knowing about the violations.
Notice Issued to Delhi Government
A vacation bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan issued a notice to the Delhi government through the Principal Secretary of the Environment and Forest Department. The Principal Secretary is required to explain how the government permitted the felling of trees under the Delhi Protection of Trees Act 1994 and why no action was taken against the DDA.
Strong Objection to Forest Department’s Notification
The court took strong objection to the State Forest Department’s notification issued to the DDA as permission for the felling of trees. The court questioned how the Delhi government could take over the Tree Officer’s powers and commented on the illegality of this action.
Plea Filed by Delhi Resident
The court was hearing a plea filed by Delhi resident Bindu Kapurea, who alleged that trees were cut despite a previous court order denying permission to the DDA. The court also criticized the DDA for not providing information about Lt Governor VK Saxena’s visit to the Ridge area where 1,100 trees were cut.
Recklessness by DDA
The bench observed that the DDA was protecting higher-ups and blaming subordinate officers. The court expressed doubts about the way the DDA handled the situation and emphasized the need for serious action.
Response from DDA
Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the DDA vice-chairman, stated that the DDA was trying to find the records and ensure no incorrect information was given to the court. The counsel clarified that the Lt Governor had visited a hospital for central armed paramilitary forces and not the site concerned.
Criminal Contempt Notice
The Supreme Court had earlier issued a notice of criminal contempt against DDA vice-chairman Subhasish Panda for allowing the large-scale felling of trees in the southern Ridge’s Satbari area to build a road from Chhattarpur to South Asian University.
