Court pulls up Delhi forest dept for destroying trees citing infra projects

The court was considering a plea filed by the deputy conservator of forest (DCF) (south) seeking clarification of the high court’s August 2023 order

The Delhi high court on Wednesday reprimanded the AAP government’s forest department for destroying trees under the pretext of pruning and granting permission to fell trees without passing a non-speaking order saying that the department did not care about the environment.

In that order, the high court had directed the government to not grant permission for cutting trees to individuals and inform the court about the permission granted for felling trees regarding important projects. (HT Archive)

The court was considering a plea filed by the deputy conservator of forest (DCF) (south) seeking clarification of the high court’s August 2023 order. In that order, the high court had directed the government to not grant permission for cutting trees to individuals and inform the court about the permission granted for felling trees regarding important projects.

The DCF said the department was receiving applications for transplantation of trees or tree felling from different government authorities for time-bound important projects, but the forest department was not issuing permission which had halted the construction and progress of the projects.

The high court on September 14, also directed tree officers not to grant permission for felling of trees to construct houses.

During the hearing, climate activist Bhavreen Kandhari appearing through advocate Aditya N Prasad submitted that though the forest department had claimed that it had given training to its officers regarding passing of speaking orders, the officials were passing non-speaking orders granting permission to prune trees. He also submitted that the Delhi government had on February 14 issued a notification to permit felling of 422 trees, which was stayed by the coordinate bench and that the department was issuing notifications regarding felling of trees despite an order of stay.

Considering the counsel’s submission, the court, expressing dismay asked the department’s lawyer to name the authority that was supervising the same.

“Why don’t you cut all of them (trees)? What pruning? Who is supervising it? You don’t care. How do we sensitize you … Mr Srivastava, I’m not getting only…what to do? Convert Delhi into deserts… If none care, what can I do?” justice Jasmeet Singh said to advocate Anupam Srivastava who appeared for the forest department.

Srivastava submitted that the department had written to the agencies to involve it in the planning stage of residential projects.

The high court had earlier asked the Delhi government’s forest department to submit a comprehensive plan regarding transplantation of trees that would be cut for infrastructure projects before permitting the department to fell trees, saying that there was a need to strike a balance since the city was struggling with Air Quality Index (AQI) despite rain and clear weather.

On Tuesday, the high court had directed the forest department to file an affidavit with respect to the pruning undertaken in Defence Colony and Panchsheel Park areas, as well as the pre and post inspection of the site and the permission that was granted by the tree officer for such an exercise.