Ecological disaster in the name of development

This refers to the editorial, “Treenomics vs babudom” (June 26). Over the last few days, Delhi residents have been protesting against the Government’s approval for felling over 14,000 trees in south Delhi. Now, the High Court in Delhi has directed the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC), the State-owned construction company, not to cut anymore trees till July 4 so as to put on hold the construction of houses for bureaucrats and employees of the Central Government.

More than 16,000 trees in Delhi are in place where the construction company proposes to build houses. But, considering that the air pollution in Delhi has risen to dangerously high levels in recent years, the High Court should have been even more stringent and uncompromising while delivering the judgment.

Instead of the July 4 deadline, the High Court should have asked the NBCC to terminate the idea of cutting down trees altogether. It may be tough to choose between development and environmental security, but for the sake of the citizens of Delhi, the Government must realise that development cannot take place at the cost of injury to the environment.