Authorities not serious in protecting notified forest area: Delhi HC
Authorities not serious in protecting notified forest area: Delhi HC
New Delhi, The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said authorities did not appear to be serious about protecting notified forest areas in the national capital and directed Delhi Police to keep a continuous vigil in such spaces.
A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Tushar Rao Gedela said the breaches noticed in the boundary walls of forest areas and encroachments should be reported by Delhi Police to the Delhi Development Authority after conducting an intensive survey or inspection within a week.
The high court was hearing a batch of PILs over poor ambient air quality in Delhi, an issue which it has also taken up suo motu and appointed an amicus curiae for assistance.
Amicus curiae and senior advocate Kailash Vasudev said the boundary walls at several places in the forest areas were damaged and encroached upon.
"The facts mentioned in the application compels us to observe that the authorities, be it Delhi Police, Delhi Development Authority and Forest Department, don't appear to be serious to protect the notified forest areas the Aravalli Biodiversity Park, the Sanjay Van, South- Central Ridge and forests behind shopping malls on Nelson Mandela Marg near Vasant Kunj here," the bench said.
The court asked the conservator of forests and the ridge management board to file their reports, by the next hearing, detailing the steps that were either taken or were required to be taken in future to protect the forest areas.
The DDA counsel said after noticing the breach of boundary walls, repair work was initiated which would be completed soon.
The court said apart from the restoration of the boundary wall, the police was required to observe a continued vigil of the area.
"It equally becomes the responsibility of the forest department, specially the conservator of forest of the area to do a constant supervision and report any breaches to the authorities so as to save further damage to the forest," it said.
The bench said the inspection to be conducted by the police should also be photographed and videographed and its report be conveyed to the DDA, which would then take necessary action for repair and restoration of the boundary walls and for removal of encroachments.
The court asked the DDA to file its status report by the next date of hearing on May 14.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
