Concrete around trees: Civic bodies pulled up for wasting public funds

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) pulled up Delhi’s civic authorities for not coordinating their efforts in removing concrete covering tree roots,thus leading to an avoidable waste of public money.

An NGT bench headed by chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar observed that various projects dealing with deconcretisation work around trees were being done in a ‘haphazard manner”. Vice-chairman of Delhi Development Authority was also directed to exercise “better supervision” to ensure that public money isn’t wasted.

The NGT directed civic authorities to take up East Revenue District as first priority and appointed local commissioners to inspect three South Delhi colonies,where the work of removing concrete was said to have been completed by the authorities.

The NGT also issued a notice to the PWD and the Delhi Forest department,seeking their response on fresh applications that sought contempt of court action for allegedly violating NGT’s orders regarding harming trees during the deconcretisation work.