The Delhi High Court expressed its displeasure on Friday over the cutting down of trees in the Southern Ridge here for constructing a road near the South Asian University and said if authorities want to convert the capital into the Thar desert, they should say so on an affidavit.
Terming it “painful”, Justice Jasmeet Singh said if authorities choose not to comply with judicial orders on the conservation of the Ridge, he can “only feel sorry for the people”.
The court was dealing with a case concerning permissions granted by tree officers for felling trees without passing speaking orders. Last year, it had said no permission for felling trees would be granted in Delhi.
During the hearing, advocate Aditya N Prasad, the counsel for the petitioner, said following a notification issued by the Delhi government that allowed the removal of 422 trees for the construction of an approach road to the South Asian University, several trees have been cut down.
The court pulled up the deputy conservator of forest (DCF), who was virtually present at the hearing, for not knowing about the felling of trees when the matter was taken up earlier this week.
“You come here and say that the damage has already been done. You do not know when the trees have been cut. What is happening? You are understaffed, you do not care for the people of Delhi at all. You want to make it the Thar desert, say so. Put it on an affidavit that Delhi should be devoid of all trees, I will record it,” the judge said.
He said it was “shocking” that “your standing counsel, under instructions, said not a single tree has been cut”.
“You were here. Your instructions were that not a single tree (has been cut),” he said.
The DCF said the forest department has not granted any permission for felling trees in this case.
The Delhi government’s counsel said the law allows the government to exempt an area from the rigours of the legal provisions requiring a prior permission for tree felling, which was the basis of the notification in this case.
While the court was told that the trees have been cut down by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the counsel for the authority said a plea seeking the Supreme Court’s approval is pending and sought time to take instructions.
The court also told the DCF that it would “shut down” his office since there seems to be no mechanism in place to ensure the enforcement of the law on protection of trees.
“What is the point? If you are a toothless tiger, you might as well shut down your office. I will shut it down today,” the judge said.
“Single-handedly, according to me, you people are responsible for the misery of the people of Delhi,” he added.
The matter would now be heard next week.
