New Delhi: Officials of the Delhi government have told the Supreme Court that the Delhi lieutenant governor was not appraised of the need for permission from the top court to cut trees in Delhi’s ridge forest.
The matter pertains to the felling of 1,100 trees, which the apex court believes was done at the behest of LG and that officials are trying to “protect higher-ups“. The trees were cut in violation of norms in the Chhatarpur area of Delhi to widen the road leading to the South Asian University and Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS).
In response to the court’s order, three Delhi government filed their affidavits, giving their accounts of LG’s visit to the spot on February 3. The trees were cut after LG’s visit.
According to the Indian Express, Delhi chief secretary Naresh Kumar, while talking about LG’s visit, said, “… Hon’ble Lt. Governor, at the time of visit… issued directions to all the officials concerned to expedite completion of the project, being a project related to medical facilities for the Paramilitary Forces serving the nation… To the best of the knowledge of the undersigned, none of the officers/officials present at the site brought to the notice of the Hon’ble LG the orders (of the Supreme Court)… and/or the requirement of obtaining permission from the Tree Officer.”
Delhi Development Authority engineer Ashok Gupta, in his affidavit, tendered an “unconditional and unqualified apology” for the felling of trees. “Lt Governor informed him that the Forest Department had already taken approval from him” for felling trees under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994 and “directed the officers of the Forest Department to convey the approval to DDA at the earliest”. Gupta also added that “no officer present during the visit… had pointed out to the Hon’ble LG about the requirement for obtaining permission from Hon’ble Supreme Court”.
He also goes onto add that trees were felled under the “misplaced notion and understanding of the field Engineers of DDA” that they had obtained the requisite permissions.
Similarly, the additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF), Suneesh Buxy, in his affidavit, meanwhile said, “… during the visit of Hon’ble LG, Principal Secretary (Environment and Forest), APCCF/HOD, Conservator of Forests… were present on behalf of Department of Forests and Wildlife… During the visit, the following directions were given to the Forest Department: (a) Forest officials were advised to create water bodies in the low-lying depressions in the ridge area in the vicinity of the CAPFIMS campus to enhance the water table of the area. (b) It was pointed out that the mandatory permissions of the Forest Department under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994, and Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 were pending. The Forest Department was advised to expedite the process in this regard.”
In the last hearing on June 26, the top court had said, “You are only protecting the higher-ups and blaming the lower officers… If the highest authority has done something wrong, there is nothing wrong in telling to the court…the truth must come out.”
