NGT raps Delhi's civic authorities for 'haphazard' work

Directs the Vice Chairman of DDA to 'exercise better supervision'

Delhi's civic authorities were today pulled up by the National Green Tribunal for wasting public money by not working in tandem with each other while removing concrete covering tree roots.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar observed that the deconcretisation work as well as other projects dealing with protection of trees, like putting up brick walls or iron grills around them, were being done in a "haphazardly manner".

It noted that the concrete removed from the tree roots was being left around at the site, sometimes on the footpath or around the tree, and directed the Vice Chairman of DDA to "exercise better supervision" to ensure the concrete removal work was done properly and public money was not wasted.

"The pictures annexed with affidavit (of the authorities) provide an overall view relating to the apathy of coordination between the public authorities of NCT Delhi and statutory bodies... The authorities are expected to work in tandem to ensure that deconcretisation is done properly... You can't be wasting public money in this fashion.

"The concrete removed should be taken away and stored at a proper site. In the circumstances, we direct Vice Chairman, DDA to exercise better supervision and to ensure that proper deconcretisation of trees takes place and public money is not wasted," the bench said.

Meanwhile, the authorities informed the tribunal that deconcretisation work had been completed in 18 colonies in Delhi.

The bench, thereafter, directed the authorities to take up the East Revenue District as first priority to complete the deconcretisation work there and appointed local commissioners to inspect three south Delhi colonies where the civic agencies claimed to have finished the work of removing concrete from tree roots.