Delhi HC allows DDA to transplant 600 trees for stormwater drain construction in Dwarka

New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Friday set aside an order of the Deputy Conservator of Forests which had halted the permission granted to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for transplantation of over 600 trees for the construction of stormwater drain at Dwarka’s sector-8 to cater to water discharge from the Indira Gandhi International Airport

New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Friday set aside an order of the Deputy Conservator of Forests which had halted the permission granted to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for transplantation of over 600 trees for the construction of stormwater drain at Dwarka’s sector-8 to cater to water discharge from the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

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Justice Najmi Waziri allowed the plea by DDA seeking permission for transplantation of 637 trees and felling of 56 others and asked the Deputy Conservator of Forests to supervise the felling or transplantation of trees by DDA for its project.

The counsel for DDA said that their “writ petition has been allowed” and the court has “set aside the DCF’s June 29 order whereby the DDA’s permission for felling/ transplantation of trees had been kept in abeyance”.

DDA, represented through standing counsel Prabhsahay Kaur, said the project, costing ₹88.56 crores, required permission from the Deputy Conservator of Forests (West Forest Division) of the Delhi government for the transplantation of 637 trees and felling of 56 others.

While the permission was earlier granted, it has now been arbitrarily put in abeyance through a June 29 letter of DCF, thereby stalling the progress of the public project indefinitely, DDA said, adding that as per the correspondence, the permission will only be granted after further orders of the high court in a contempt case in which permission for felling of trees has been restricted on April 28.

The DDA’s petition said an application was made to the DCF on November 2, 2020, seeking permission for the felling of trees/ translocation and on May 17, 2022, the permission was granted for transplanting 637 trees and felling 56 trees, while mandating compensatory plantation of 6930 trees to be carried out by DDA.

It said that the petitioner made all arrangements for the transplantation and arranged for 6930 saplings of the specific varieties of trees and also deposited ₹3.95 crore, as directed by the DCF.

“While the petitioner (DDA) was eagerly anticipating issuance of formal final permission letter, the petitioner was shocked and surprised to receive a letter dated June 29, 2022, wherein the respondent (DCF) stated that while transplantation of trees approval had been granted in principle to the petitioner, and confirmed the receipt of the security deposit, however, the said permission has been placed in abeyance and will only be granted after further orders of this court in the matter whereby (as per the respondent’s version) vide order dated April 28, 2022, permission for felling of trees has been restricted,” the plea said.

On May 19, the court stayed any further felling of trees in Delhi, saying there is no other way to mitigate the ecological and environmental degradation in the city.­