NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has instructed Delhi government to submit an action plan on curbing the growing forest encroachment in south Delhi. The tribunal took the decision after hearing a plea seeking remedial action against unauthorised construction on forest land in southern parts of Delhi and rapped the state government over inaction on the same.
The bench took note of a status report filed by the SDM, Mehrauli, that said the removal of encroachments was scheduled to begin by August 2017 but the authorities were facing “difficulties” as approximately 3,000 people had settled at the illegal encroachments.
NGT directed the state government officials to disclose relevant information to the bench, which was headed by NGT chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel. The bench said, “Let a status report about the compliance of the order of this tribunal be furnished by the Chief Secretary, Delhi, after gathering relevant information from the officers concerned. We may only add that so long as the order of this tribunal stands, the same must be carried out and illegality cannot be defended on the ground of alleged difficulty in carrying out a lawful order by a State committed to the rule of law. Otherwise, there [will] be chaos all around.”
NGT also instructed the Vijay Kumar Dev, chief secretary, Delhi, to furnish a status report about the compliance of its March 25, order to enhance the city’s forest department’s staff strength and providing a proper infrastructure and up-to-date equipment to its official.