High Court hears voice of Delhi; stays cutting of trees till July 4

In a relief to people of Delhi who have been protesting authorities’ decision to cut 16,500 trees sanctioned by the Centre for the redevelopment of six south Delhi colonies, the Delhi High Court on Monday, June 25 stayed the tree-cutting till July 4.

A bench of Justice Vinod Goel and Justice Rekha Palli directed the National Buildings Construction Corp (NBCC) not to cut the trees till the next date of hearing on July 4. The court also permitted the petitioner, an orthopaedic surgeon, to challenge the orders passed by the authorities giving permission to cut the trees for these residential projects.

During the hearing, the court asked NBCC: "You know the effect it would have? I understand if it was widening of a road or something inevitable. Can Delhi afford it today? Keep your hands off till July 4?"

The petitioner has sought the setting aside of the terms of reference and the environment clearances granted to the project by the Environment Ministry, saying it would lead to felling of over 16,500 trees.

The six south Delhi colonies where the trees would be felled are Sarojini Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Thyagaraja Nagar, Mohammadpur and Kasturba Nagar, the petition by Kaushal Kant Mishra said. All these areas are home to government employees where the central government is pulling down houses built in the 1950 and replacing them with high-rise buildings.

Besides the NBCC, the project is also being executed by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

Delhi citizens gathered for protests against tree-cutting on Sunday, promised a new ‘Chipko Andolan’

“Let’s start a new ‘Chipko Andolan’. The government wants to cut 16,500 trees in Delhi to build government employees quarters. People must cling to and hug the trees so that government takes back its decision to cut 100-200 year old trees,” said a citizen at a protest in Delhi at Sarojini Nagar on Sunday, June 24.

Hundreds of concerned citizens, teachers and students of Delhi had turned out for the protest in defense of the 100- to 200-year-old trees, slated to get the axe. The protest at the DMC booth, near Sarojini Nagar police station was organised by ‘Citizens Initiative to Save Trees’. Saplings were distributed to all participants.

"A 50-year-old man is not equal to a small baby. You can’t replace these old trees with saplings. It’s ridiculous. Anyway, who will take care of the saplings?” said a member of a citizens environmentalist group Green Circle.

A landscape architect who participated in the protest said he was ready to offer his services to the government to ensure building without cutting the trees. “We should not go against nature. Out of box solutions like constructing higher buildings should be thought of. Tree mapping should be done and only then building can be planned. ”

A teacher at the protest said “We have come to hug the trees in this complex which is being demolished, which are ear-marked for being cut. Old trees can produce oxygen the way that small trees can’t. If the government doesn’t understand this, it might as well delete all the chapters from environment studies.”

Students at the protest said they have sent petitions against the tree-cutting. “We are told to do yoga but we will fall sick if we do yoga outdoors in Delhi’s polluted air,” said a student. “What about the birds, insects and animals for whom trees are a habitat?” asked another?

The High Court’s decision would come as a temporary relief to these protestors.

With IANS inputs

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