PWD denies felling of trees for road

In its reply to the National Green Tribunal, the Public Works Department (PWD) on Wednesday denied having cut trees for a road-widening project in Vasant Kunj, reports Darpan Singh.

In its reply to the National Green Tribunal, the Public Works Department (PWD) on Wednesday denied having cut trees for a road-widening project in Vasant Kunj.

HT Image

The petitioner who has claimed the PWD illegally felled trees for the project, will submit by May 27 evidence to prove trees had been felled.

Till then, an interim stay on the project ordered by the tribunal will remain in force.

The petitioner is a resident of the South Delhi colony.

The forest department on Wednesday also filed its reply and said the PWD had sought permission for felling of trees, which was denied. The PWD said 30 per cent of the project to widen a 3.5-km stretch from Andheria Mod towards Mahipalpur was complete. “I will, through my lawyer, submit satellite images of November 2012 as compared to those of February this year showing large bald patches on the road,” said petitioner Sonya Ghosh.

In response to an RTI application filed by HT, the forest department had admitted to felling and pruning of 39 trees without permission and registration of police complaints.

The RTI reply says the PWD had in two applications sought felling of 167 trees, permission for which was denied.