Concerned over the constant deterioration of environment in the Capital, the Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Aam Aadmi Party government to place before it data from the year 1996 with regard to forest cover in the Delhi Ridge and elsewhere, as well as the current position. The court asked the government to submit the data and reports within six weeks.
Hearing a public interest litigation the court had initiated itself, a Division Bench comprising Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva observed that it had been issuing directions in the matter for the past one year for the survival of people in the city. It noted that the forest density had reduced in several areas of the Capital. “We don’t want [mere] words. We want to see the situation...Show us photos and maps and give information on what have you done in the last one year,” said the Bench.
The court also asked the Delhi Police to file an affidavit within two weeks on how it was going to utilise the balance funds of about Rs.175 crore issued for the modernisation of traffic and communication network of the force, and provide a specific timeline in this regard.
The direction was given after the Centre’s standing counsel informed the court that as per a communication received from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Rs.275 crore was allocated for the period between 2012 and 2017 to the Delhi Police. However, only Rs.100 crore had been spent till this year, he said.
Referring to the pollution caused by landfill sites and the fires there, the court said these would be taken up on the next date of hearing on May 19.
