SC seeks action against DDA for felling trees illegally

NEW DELHI: The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) framed by the Supreme Court (SC) has sought action against the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for violating the norms regarding illegal construction and tree felling in the ridge area of south Delhi.

The panel report said that about 750 trees have been cut down by the DDA without obtaining necessary permissions from the central government, which is a violation of the directive of the apex court in India.

The report added that DDA allocated a forested stretch of land having “ridge-like characteristics” to construct an approach road from Chhatarpur main road to various institutions, including SAARC University and Central Armed Police Force Institute of Medical Sciences.

Regarding the felling of trees, the committee observed that about 222 trees were razed in a non-forest area without any approval from the relevant authorities under the Delhi Protection of Trees Act, 1994. Another 523 trees were chopped off in an area with morphological ridge-like features without any approval from the centre, as mandated under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, and the directive of the Supreme Court.

The Delhi Ridge covers an area of 7,777 hectares of land and has a critical role in maintaining the ecological balance in the national capital. The area consisting of Northern Ridge, Central Ridge, South Central Ridge, and Sothern Ridge was declared a reserved forest or ‘Notified Ridge Area’ in 1994.