Rai seeks report on cutting of 1,100 trees without permission

New Delhi: Delhi Environment minister Gopal Rai directed forest department officials to submit a status report on the action taken in connection with the cutting of 1,100 trees without permission, allegedly by the DDA, in south Delhi’s Ridge area, officials said on Wednesday.

Rai held a meeting with forest officials regarding the “illegal” tree cutting by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and sought a detailed report and the action taken by 11 am on Thursday. The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi government and the civic agencies to convene a meeting and discuss comprehensive measures to enhance the city’s green cover while observing that people are feeling the heat as tree cover is lost.

A vacation bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said it expects the forest department and tree authority to keep a vigil on the activity of illegal damaging of trees in Delhi.

Observing that brazen acts of tree felling in the national capital cannot be brushed aside lightly, the top court had on Monday sought a “clear” statement from the DDA vice-chairman about whether trees in the Ridge area were cut on the orders of the lieutenant governor without its permission. In a statement on Tuesday, Delhi Urban Development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had alleged that it was clear in the DDA’s records that Lt Governor VK Saxena went to the Satbari forest area on February 3 and gave verbal instructions to cut the 1,100 trees.

This is written in the emails of DDA officers, not one but three emails, which establish the matter, he had said.

For the last two years, the lieutenant governor has been continuously interfering in the city government’s jurisdiction, Bhardwaj had further alleged.

Despite objections from forest officials, 1,100 trees were felled in the Ridge area following Saxena’s orders, he had said.

The forest department and the DDA were aware that there was no permission to cut trees in the ridge, he had added.

“Everyone is involved in this whole matter. The forest department, the DDA and the lieutenant governor, all are involved in this illegal act and together they are working to deceive the Supreme Court,” an AAP statement had quoted Bharadwaj as saying.