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Check on 24 old trees in Old Delhi, ensure their health and safeguard them, HC orders Delhi govt, north civic body
The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the Delhi government’s tree officer to check on 24 old trees in Chandni Chowk area and, together with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, formulate a plan to restore them and save them from further damage of any kind.
The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the Delhi government’s tree officer to check on 24 old trees in Chandni Chowk area and, together with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, formulate a plan to restore them and save them from further damage of any kind.
The corporation Wednesday submitted an affidavit listing the old trees in Dariba Kalan, Urdu Bazaar, Jama Masjid and Jagat Cinema areas on the court’s earlier directions, issued while hearing a plea to restore an approximately 300-year-old tree in Nai Sadak area of Chandni Chowk.
On August 6, Nai Sadak resident Nitin Gupta had filed a plea, through advocate RK Kapoor, about the unauthorised construction taking place in the area that was hampering the tree.
While hearing his petition, justice Najmi Waziri had said it cannot be denied that in the Walled City, especially in the densely populated and heavily built-up area of Chandni Chowk, there are hardly any trees. Therefore, each tree in that neighbourhood is valuable and would need protection, he said.He had then asked the tree officer and the north corporation to jointly carry out a tree census in the Walled City.
On Wednesday, the civic body in its affidavit said that it has identified the trees and work has started to remove the concrete from around their trunk base.
Advocate Ajay Arora, the standing counsel of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, said in some places, the work to remove the concrete could not be carried out because of lack of space and, in one case, the danger posed to a house as the tree is abutting the foundation of that house. He also informed the court that at six places, people have constructed temples near the base of the tree and so the matter has been referred to the religious committee of the Delhi government for necessary action.
He also said some of the trees fall in the jurisdiction of the public works department(PWD) and the PWD has already completed the concrete removal work.
Following this, Waziri directed that the tree officer visit each tree and guide the corporation on the measures needed to restore and safeguard each tree.
Waziri also pulled up the Delhi government for its failure to protect the 300-year-old banyan tree in Nai Sadak, which has been damaged due to the illegal construction.
The Delhi government then detailed the action taken to remove cement and girders from around the tree, which is believed to have been standing since before the British rule in India.
Advocate Gautam Narayan, the additional standing counsel of the Delhi government, said a large number of its roots have been damaged and, perhaps, are now dead for want of oxygen and moisture. But due to a high regenerative potential of the root system, the tree could develop new roots once the concrete around its base is removed and replaced with good alluvial soil or sandy loam. To prevent the attack of termites, due to presence of dead and decaying roots, and also to prevent the onset of pests (root borer) and pathogens (soil-borne fungi and bacteria), 1% neem cake will be added to the roots.
However, the court was unhappy that the upper girders, which were stifling the tree branches, are yet to be removed. The judge said action should be taken against the outgoing tree officer for not acting on the complaint given by area resident Kushmakar Rastogi in January.
“We are talking about a treasure, a living creature. How can you not act on the complaint given by Rastogi in January, rather you had given him a date in August,” Waziri said while adding, “Take action against the officer. You can’t keep on cutting trees because of the incompetence of officers.”
Advocate Narayan told the court that the current tree officer had taken charge only recently and is trying to learn the ropes. He ensured the court that the remaining girders will be removed forthwith. Following this, the court asked the tree officer to visit the tree and see that there is no further construction happening around it.The matter would be now heard on September 15.
