HC bars PWD from cutting trees for 3 wks to widen Delhi road

The Delhi High Court today asked the Public Works Department (PWD) not to cut any trees on a road in South Delhi's Vasant Kunj area for three weeks.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued the temporary directions to enable a resident of the area to challenge a January 5 order of the Appellate Authority on preservation of trees' upholding the Deputy Conservator of Forests' decision to permit removal of 708 trees from the area to facilitate widening of a road from Andheria Modh to Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj here.
The Deputy Conservator of Forests in his September 15 order had also permitted transplantation of 102 trees.

The court, while issuing the temporary directions, also disposed of the plea of Bindu Kapurea who has challenged the September 15 decision of the forest department.
It passed the order after Delhi government standing counsel Zubeda Begum placed on record the January 5 order of the Appellate Authority.
The Authority, which functions under Delhi Preservation of Trees Act 1994, in its order had also observed that PWD has deposited a security amount of Rs 3.22 crore with the forest department to ensure fulfilment of conditions imposed at the time of grant of approval.

It had also observed that the National Green Tribunal had allowed removal of the trees after intense scrutiny, and hence "the tree officer has acted as per law".

The order was passed after hearing Kapurea and other stakeholders.
As the January 5 order was placed before the court today, the petitioner sought time to challenge it.
The court, thereafter, while granting liberty to the petitioner to challenge the order, restrained PWD from cutting any trees for three weeks.