SC rebukes DDA for cutting trees in Delhi Ridge, says can’t trust it now
DDA vice chairman Subhashish Panda’s affidavit confirmed that 642 trees in the southern Ridge were cut without the top court’s permission
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed its sharp disapproval of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) vice chairman Subhashish Panda’s affidavit that claimed 642 trees were cut in the Delhi Ridge without his knowledge, saying the top court “cannot trust the DDA now”.
Panda’s affidavit confirmed that the 642 trees -- 468 on forest land and 175 on DDA or non-forest land -- were felled in Satbari over 10 days starting February 16, long before the Supreme Court on March 4 rejected DDA’s application to cut the trees to widen the road.
“Wherever trees have been felled, land has to be restored. It must be done in a time-bound manner. We cannot trust DDA now,” the bench of justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said after going through the affidavit.
Panda filed the affidavit on a contempt notice by the court on May 9 following a petition that the DDA cut trees in the Delhi Ridge without the top court’s approval.
In his affidavit, Panda said DDA would restore the land to its original condition by replanting trees, fencing the entire stretch and not carrying out any further road-widening work.
The court agreed to consider the affidavit later in the day and asked Attorney General R Venkataramani, who appeared for Panda, to take instructions if the work of tree plantation and maintenance could be entrusted to any independent agency such as the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI).
In his affidavit, Panda said he was recuperating after a surgical procedure when the trees were cut.
“I was not aware of the mistake committed by field staff in going ahead with the cutting of trees on the basis of exemption and approvals obtained from various authorities. I deeply regret that such a lack of coordination took place while I was on medical leave and recuperating from a surgery.”
The affidavit said tree felling started on February 16, 2024, two days after the forest department granted its in-principle approval for felling 422 trees on non-forest land. DDA was asked to plant 4,220 trees and deposit ₹2.4 crore as compensatory afforestation charges with the forest department. The contractor entrusted with the road widening project cut the trees.
Panda said the matter came to his notice on March 18 when the Delhi high court issued contempt notice for felling of trees. Panda ordered an inquiry and on a site inspection on March 20 that concluded 174 trees on DDA land and 458 trees on forest land were felled.
Show cause notices were issued to assistant engineer (civil) and junior engineer (civil). In response to the notice on May 15, they claimed that they “misunderstood” that the approval received from Delhi forest department and the recommendation by court-appointed central empowered committee (CEC) was the “final permission to cut trees”.
Panda said this was a “mistake” since the top court’s permission is required for cutting trees in the Delhi Ridge.
“It was imperative to take final approval from this court before proceeding any further and the felling of the trees could be undertaken only if the approval would have been received.”
The affidavit also informed that the ridge management board (RMB) granted approval for tree felling long back on September 18, 2023 following which the central government gave in-principle approval under Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 for using 3.6 hectares of forest land for non-forest use.
The affidavit explained that the road widening was undertaken to build a 4-lane approach road to the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS) set up on the existing road between Chattarpur and Satbari. As the present road was only 7.5 metres wide, it was decided to expand it by another 7.5 m for which trees in the ridge area were required to be felled. The affidavit further claimed that DDA had identified a land parcel of 55 acres to be developed into an urban forest
