HC poser to forest dept over forest encroachments

New Delhi:The Delhi High Court on Monday sought to know from the Delhi forest department whether it would also regularise encroachments on the forest lands while

New Delhi:The Delhi High Court on Monday sought to know from the Delhi forest department whether it would also regularise encroachments on the forest lands while regularises 1,700 unauthorised colonies.

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A bench of justices GS Sistani and Anup Jairam Bhambhani posed the query to the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) after amicus curiae senior advocate Kailash Vasdev informed the court that while regularising over 1,700 unauthorised colonies, the government may also regularise encroachment on forest lands, which cannot be done.

The court’s poser came while hearing a plea, which it had initiated itself in 2015, on poor air quality in the national capital. The court has passed different orders from time-to-time in this regard.

Ishwar Singh, PCCF, department of forest and wildlife, told the court that encroachment on forest lands will not be regularised and that forest area cannot be regularised. Following this, the court asked the forest department to file an affidavit in this regard.

On Monday, senior advocate Vasdev told the court that the Centre is bringing in a law to regularise unauthorised colonies in the city and he apprehends that it will also regularise the encroachment on forest areas.