New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday summoned the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) vice-chairperson and the director general of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) regarding a contempt petition against government officials for felling of trees in Delhi's Ridge area, in violation of the court's orders.
A bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the two authorities, CPWD and DDA, to maintain status quo in the area. The bench also issued notices to them and the Director General of Forest and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest.
The top court was hearing a contempt plea claiming that the ridge is the only forested place left in the national capital. The plea also claimed that a large number of trees have been felled there by the DDA to construct an approach road between Chattarpur Road and SAARC University near Maidan Garhi.
During the hearing, the bench said if it is satisfied then it will direct them to replant the trees and restore the area. The bench, in its order, said: "We direct that the respondents shall remain personally present in court on the next date of hearing".
"We direct that the respondents shall not indulge in any further tree felling and status quo as of today shall be maintained in respect of the property subject matter of these contempt petitions”, it added.
In March this year, the apex court had declined to grant permission to DDA to fell 1,051 trees, saying their application was very vague. The apex court had said that it is the duty of the DDA, being an instrumentality of the state, to first make an attempt to protect the environment by only felling those trees which are absolutely necessary.
Meanwhile, another bench of the apex court, in a separate matter, asked the Centre, the Delhi government and the DDA to file their responses to a "shocking" report of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) which said five per cent area of the Ridge in the national capital was under encroachment.
A bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, noted that advocate K Parameshwar, amicus curiae in the matter, has placed on record the CEC report.
"The report depicts a very shocking state of affairs," the bench observed. The amicus submitted before the bench that the report contains the details of encroachment in the ridge and the figures are quite shocking.
