After trees felled in Dwarka, forest dept sends notice to CPWD, NII

Delhi's forest department issued notices to CPWD and NII for illegally felling around 100 trees in Dwarka without permission, following a local complaint.

New Delhi

Officials said the land parcel in question belongs to NII, with CPWD carrying out work in the area. (HT Photo)

Delhi’s forest and wildlife department on Thursday issued notices to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and the National Institute of Immunology (NII) after it received a complaint that trees were illegally felled at a parcel of land in Dwarka Sector 5. They said the land parcel in question belongs to NII, with CPWD carrying out work in the area.

For any agency to fell trees in the Capital, it needs to take permission from the forest department under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994. However, officials said an estimated 100 trees were felled at the Dwarka site, but no permission was sought or granted to fell even a single tree.

The forest department was acting on a complaint filed by a local resident, who said a green patch akin to a “mini-forest” had been cleared “in a matter of days”.

“We received a complaint on Wednesday that some trees were felled illegally, and following inspection, restraining notices have been served to both the institute and CPWD. As per our preliminary assessment, around 100 trees have likely been felled, but since some trees were fairly thin and short, we will check the length and girth to compare it to the definition of a tree as per DPTA,” said a senior forest official, declining to be named.

DPTA defines a “tree” as “any woody plant that has branches supported by a trunk or body of at least 5 cm in diameter and is at least one-metre high from the ground level”.

“In addition to the restraining order, we have sought an explanation from the agencies,” the official said, adding an earthmover was seized from the site.

HT reached out to CPWD and NII, but neither commented on the notices issued.

Forest dept to probe tree felling in NW Delhi

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday disposed of a plea on the alleged illegal felling of trees in northwest Delhi’s Ibrahimpur village, directing the forest department to investigate and take appropriate action.

A local resident had filed a plea, claiming trees had been felled illegally in Khasra numbers 131 and 132 by a local nursery.

“We direct the principal chief conservator of forests to consider the complaint of the applicant dated Feb 13, ascertain the correct factual position, and take appropriate action, keeping in view the observations made above as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of two months,” said the bench headed by justice Prakash Shrivastava in an order dated April 7, but made public on Thursday.