Following a plea alleging illegal felling of trees on a plot in Sainik Farms, the National Green Tribunal has directed Delhi’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) to take action expeditiously.
Taking note of a report furnished by the Delhi forest department, a Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said, “Let further action be taken expeditiously in accordance with law.”
In its report dated December 29, the PCCF had said that during inspection it was found that among the 12 trees (present), two branches of one tree and two branches of another were pruned without prior approval from the Department of Forests and Wildlife of the Delhi government.
“Apart from the illegal pruning, illegal felling of a tree was also observed in the plot on the basis of previous years Google Earth images,” the report said.
It stated the owner of the plot was issued show cause notices and during the hearing informed officials that the BSES was carrying out pruning in the area. The report however added that during the second and third hearings, both the owner of the vacant plot and officials from the BSES failed to appear before the Deputy Conservator of Forest (South).
The NGT’s directions came while hearing a plea moved by the Paryavaran Suraksha Sajha Manch seeking action against illegal felling of trees in a vacant plot at Sainik Farms.
