Tree felling in Delhi's Ridge area: SC finds DDA in contempt, orders extensive afforestation

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday held Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials guilty of contempt for tree felling in the capital's Ridge area for widening a road and ordered extensive afforestation. The court, however, noted that there was no malafide intent. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh passed the verdict on contempt plea alleging violation of the 1996 and March 4, 2024, ban on tree felling and deliberate non-compliance of orders on the part of the Delhi LG and IAS officer Subhasish Panda as DDA chairman and vice-chairman respectively.

The bench said the case falls in the category of "administrative misjudgement" and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on DDA officials. It spared the DDA chairman and vice-chairman. The top court also asked the DDA to impose a one-time levy on affluent persons residing in the Ridge area who benefitted from the widening of the road. It also formed a three-member committee to oversee the extensive afforestation plan and directed the panel to ensure thick tree cover on both sides of the approach road. On January 21, the top court said while reserving its order that it needed to see the gravity of contempt alleged to be made in the petitions.

It had issued a contempt notice to former DDA vice-chairman Subhasish Panda for felling of trees and directed LG and DDA Chairman V K Saxena to file a personal affidavit detailing actions against erring officials for allegedly illegally felling around 1,100 trees in the Ridge area in February 2024. The trees were felled for widening the approach road to the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS) Hospital. The felling of trees reportedly commenced on February 16, 2024, before an application was moved, being ultimately dismissed by an order of March 4, the top court noted. On March 4, the top court refused permission to the DDA to fell 1,051 trees, saying its application was "very vague".