Tree safety cannot be limited to one part of city: High court

HT reported in December 2020 that of the total 4,993 trees on the streets of Vasant Vihar, 3,859 were heavily concretised.

Expanding its scope of the hearing on the concretisation of trees in the national capital, the Delhi high court on Wednesday roped in various agencies such as the civic bodies, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), among others, saying the issue should not be “limited only to a particular part of the city”.

A tree census conducted by local residents showed that over 450 trees had nails, tree guards, barbed wires etc.

Justice Subramonium Prasad took judicial note of the de-concretisation of trees and issued notices to the agencies such as the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), DDA and others that are involved in the maintenance and upkeep of trees across the city. A detailed order is awaited in the matter.

The court also allowed an intervention application by the Vasant Vihar Resident Association in a pending contempt plea with regards to the concretisation of trees in Vasant Vihar and posted the matter for further hearing to April 29.

The residents have also moved the division bench of the high court on March 10, challenging an order of the single judge on March 3, in which it had directed the removal of ramps and guard cabins erected on public pavements outside the houses in the area.

HT reported in December 2020 that of the total 4,993 trees on the streets of Vasant Vihar, 3,859 were heavily concretised.

A tree census conducted by local residents showed that over 450 trees had nails, tree guards, barbed wires etc. in or around them, while 764 trees were lopped off and at least 793 trees were infested with termites.

Based on HT’s report, a complaint was filed with the Delhi forest department by environmental activists, and a petition was also filed before the Delhi high court.

The report has also been quoted in the petition.