After a four-day inspection, the Delhi government has filed a police complaint against the Delhi Golf Club for illegally felling trees in its premises. So far, 625 logs have been found buried in pits at the club. According to Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain, there are still several pits that have to be dug up and inspected. “Officials who conducted the inspection said it will take at least 20 more days to know the extent of tree felling, and arrive at a figure of how many trees may have been chopped. Since entry to the club is not open for non-members, no one realised such activity was going on. Many members did not raise their voice. This seems to have been done on a large scale,” said Hussain. On Saturday, The Indian Express had reported that a complaint against the club had been forwarded to the forest department for felling “at least 100 trees” two years ago. Since Friday, the Range Forest Officer, South Forest Division, and three other officials have been conducting an inspection of the premises. The inspection is going on. DCP (southeast) Chinmoy Biswal confirmed that they had received the government complaint on Monday evening, and are taking legal opinion on the matter before registering an FIR. The complaint has been filed at Hazrat Nizamuddin police station. Government officials said the inspection was ordered after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had received a complaint from club members. Sources said the trees were chopped to expand the second golf course — also called the Peacock Course — two years ago. The trees were cut into smaller logs and buried in pits. The inspection report also confirms the allegations. According to sources, the club had applied for permission to cut trees two years ago, which was turned down. But it went ahead and cut trees without permission, alleged the source. As per the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994, no one can cut any tree in the capital without permission from the Forest Department and paying for compensatory plantation. The Act states that even if a tree falls inadvertently, like during a storm, information is to be provided to the forest department to ensure the timber is not sold in the open market. This wood is supposed to be sent to crematoriums. The club, however, denied the allegations, saying, “The case is an attempt to malign the reputation of the club and an effort to wrongly implicate its governing authorities.”
