Trees felled in Delhi’s protected Ridge: SC raps DDA, asks it to ‘come clean’
The court will hear the matter again on June 26.
4 min read
The apex court said it very shocking that the trees were cut despite knowing that it cannot be done without the permission of the top court. Express archiveThe Supreme Court Monday quizzed the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) over the felling of trees in the national capital’s protected Ridge area and sought to know if the Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G), the Chairman of the Authority, had anything to do with it.
A bench of Justices A S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, which perused a report of a committee set up by DDA to enquire into the matter, said the emails purportedly sent by the Executive Engineer to the contractor referred to a “site visit by the L-G on February 3” and that “emails state the L-G, after the visit, directed to clear the trees”.
Responding to the bench’s specific query, Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, appearing for the DDA Vice-Chairman, said the L-G’s visit was to a different site.
The court then ordered: “We direct the Vice-Chairman to state before the court, after perusing the record, whether any official record is available regarding the site visit made by the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor on February 3 and whether anything is recorded on what transpired during the visit…”
Saying it expects the DDA to come clean on this aspect, the bench added: “We need a clear statement of facts from the Vice-Chairman, since if what is mentioned in the emails is correct, it would indicate that felling of the trees was done pursuant to directions by the L-G.”
The bench further said the executive engineer had denied sending the emails to the enquiry committee, adding the committee had not enquired on whether what was said in the email about the L-G’s site visit was correct.
“Therefore, we need assistance from the DDA on this aspect,” the court said.
The court was hearing a plea seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against the DDA V-C for allegedly not taking the court’s prior permission for tree felling. After having carefully perused the affidavits and annexures, the bench said it found all the facts leading to the felling of trees are yet to come on record.
The court, which perused an affidavit filed by the Vice-Chairman, said it prima facie gave the impression that the “entire blame has been shifted on the officers, stating that they were responsible for directing the contractors to cut the trees without the court’s permission”.
The bench said it proposed a detailed enquiry into what had happened after hearing the parties. It said: “After notice is served to the officers concerned, we propose to hold a very detailed enquiry into such a gross default committed by DDA which has resulted in the destruction of several valuable trees and consequently destruction of the environment. Such brazen acts happening in the capital city cannot be lightly brushed aside by this court…”
It added, “If the authorities are not going to perform their statutory and constitutional duty of protecting the environment, the court will have to give clear and loud signals to all authorities concerned that the environment cannot be damaged in this fashion. Therefore, today we are refraining from recording any finding on what is stated by the vice-chairman in his affidavit… as we will have to hear the officers concerned on whom the entire blame has been shifted.” The court also indicated that it proposed to issue a direction on “a massive afforestation/ tree planting drive in the entire NCT of Delhi”.
Toward the end of the hearing, Justice Oka remarked, “Ultimately, somebody has to take a strong stand. And if the court does not do it, we will be failing in our duty…”
The court will hear the matter again on June 26.
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