NEW DELHI: Expressing displeasure over felling of trees in the Southern Ridge for constructing a road near South Asian University,
Delhi High Court
has said that if
authorities
want to convert the capital into the
Thar desert
, they should say so onan
affidavit
.
Terming it “painful”, Justice Jasmeet Singh remarked if authorities choose not to comply with judicial orders on the conservation of the Ridge, he can "only feel sorry for the people”.
HC was dealing with a case concerning permissions granted by tree officials for felling trees without passing speaking orders.
Last year, the court had directed that no permission for felling trees would be granted in Delhi. During the hearing, advocate Aditya N Prasad, the petitioner’s counsel, said that following a Delhi govt notification allowing the removal of 422 trees for the construction of an approach road to the university, several trees have been cut down.
Justice Singh pulled up the deputy conservator of forest (DCF), who was virtually present, noting, "You come here and say that the damage has already been done. You do not know when the trees have been cut. What is happening? You are understaffed, you do not care for the people of Delhi at all. You want to make it the Thar desert, say so. Put it on an affidavit that Delhi should be devoid of all trees, I will record it".
Justice Singh said it was "shocking" that "your standing counsel, under instructions, said not a single tree has been cut" while the facts on the ground indicated otherwise. However, the DCF said that the forest department has not granted any permission for felling trees in this case. The govt’s counsel informed the court that the law allows govt to exempt an area from the rigours of legal provisions requiring a prior permission for tree felling, which was the basis of the notification.
The court told the DCF it would "shut down" his office since there seems to be no mechanism in place to ensure the enforcement of the law on protection of trees. "What is the point? If you are a toothless tiger, you might as well shut down your office. I will shut it down today...single-handedly, according to me, you people are responsible for the misery of the people of Delhi,” it added.
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