The Hindu : New Delhi News : Yet another case of tree offence in Capital

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 09, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Yet another case of tree offence in Capital

Anjali Dhal Samanta

NEW DELHI: With concern for environment on the rise, yet another case of tree offence has been reported to the city's Forest Department. In violation of the Delhi Tree Preservation Act, some trees at Kadambari Apartments in Rohini in West Delhi have been found damaged.

Following an inspection of the alleged tree offence, the Tree Officer of West Division has summoned the president and secretary of the residents' welfare association. According to the inspection report, in violation of the Act, trees have been found to be damaged.

"It appears that there is a process of concretisation that is underway along one of the boundary walls of the colony. There are trees located in that particular stretch of the colony. It is the roots of these trees that that has been damaged during the process of digging. Not only have the roots been damaged, they have not followed the Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation guideline for leaving an area of six foot by six foot around the tree as uncemented. This will make the trees vulnerable during strong winds and they are likely to fall,'' said an official of the Forest Department.

Following the inspection by the Forest Department official, the process has now apparently been halted.

The case, however, gets curiouser with some of the residents alleging that the area where damaged trees are standing was marked as green area according to the original plan of the society. "The residents have given us a map that defines the area where the trees have been damaged as a green area within the society. We have asked the residents welfare association office-bearers to give us the approved map of the society. They said they would give it to us within a few days but they have not done so yet,'' said the official.

The Tree Officer has summoned the president and secretary of the association on May 16. A resident of the area, Shushil Kumar, has also been called as a witness. Stating that "nothing had happened'', an office-bearer of the association said they had not received the notice yet.

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