Developers axe old tree, NMC residents protest

In the wake of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) allegedly taking into possession the National Media Centre’s (NMC) greenbelt on May 8 to construct a road, private developers of the gated community allegedly tried to axe a 45-year-old tree on the premises on Friday night.

In the wake of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) allegedly taking into possession the National Media Centre’s (NMC) greenbelt on May 8 to construct a road, private developers of the gated community allegedly tried to axe a 45-year-old tree on the premises on Friday night.

HT Image

According to the residents, the developers of NMC — DLF and ILFS — along with two earth-moving machines allegedly tried to axe a 45-year-old Peepal tree in the gated community’s greenbelt.

“The developer’s staff entered the premises around 9.30pm and began digging the area around the tree. The security guards informed us about the development,” said Sanjay Ahirwal, resident at NMC.

As soon as residents received information, they called up the police control room, which rushed to the spot.

By then, the developers had begun digging the land around the Peepal tree.

The police took control of the situation and stopped the tree’s felling.

Earlier, on May 8, the residents of the gated community near Shankar Chowk had alleged that Huda had forcibly taken the two acre greenbelt into possession to build a connecting road for a mall.

The guard’s post and boundary wall were also demolished, besides 50 trees which fall under the two acre area were uprooted.