Green lungs: No tree will face the axe till June 2, asserts Delhi HC

NEW DELHI: Taking note of the wanton tree felling in the last three years, the Delhi High Court on Thursday put a ban on such activities till June 2 as an interim measure. Justice Nazmi Waziri, who was hearing a contempt case concerning the preservation of trees, noted that over 29,000 trees were cut down in the past three years and questioned if Delhi has the ‘luxury’ to bear such numbers. 

The contempt filed by Neeraj Sharma pertains to the trees in the Vikas Marg area in East Delhi.‘‘We have stopped felling trees... Till the next date, no felling of trees,’’ the judge said as the case was listed for further hearing on June 2.  “A total of 29,946 trees were allowed to be cut in the past three years, which on computation comes to 27 trees per day, i.e. 1.13 per hour.’’

The court stated that there is no record with respect to the girth and the age of the trees that were allowed to be cut down or the status of the corresponding transplantation of trees and emphasised that large scale denudation of fully grown trees worsens the ecology.  

‘‘It would, therefore, in the fitness of things in the public interest as well as for the sake of the environment for present and future generations that tree felling in Delhi is not permitted till the next date so as to ensure that felling is done only when it is fully assured by the applicant that the trees would at least be transplanted. Surely there is no other way to mitigate the ecological and environmental degradation in the city,’’ the high court ordered. ‘‘‘Air pollution needs to be mitigated on an urgent basis. Trees are a great source for mitigation.’’

The status report filed by the Deputy Conservator of Forests for the central zone informed that in total, 13,490 trees were permitted to be cut and 16,456 trees were directed to be transplanted in the years 2019, 2020, and 2021.