"Agencies Callously Disregarding Care": Delhi High Court Expresses Concern Over Damage To Trees During Thunderstorm

The Delhi High Court on Thursday expressed concern over damage to the trees in the national capital during a recent thunderstorm observing that the agencies had permitted concretisation around them and callously disregarded care of the trees.

Justice Najmi Waziri, who was dealing with contempt pleas raising the issue of felling of trees, observed thus:

"The city has witnessed extensive devastation to its vegetation caused by a thunderstorm. Majestic old trees have succumbed to the strong winds primarily because the roots had weakened courtesy largely to the agencies owning the roads or permitting concretisation of the earth around it and indeed, callously disregarding care, upkeep of the tree."

The Court also warned the concern officers to hold them guilty of contempt for disobeying its orders further remarking that the national capital was suffering in terms of felling of trees and loss of green cover due to the work of an officer.

Expressing displeasure on the state of affairs, Justice Waziri orally remarked thus:

"We can't have this going on after what Delhi has seen in the last three days. Who is responsible for that? The officers. It is because of their callousness that the city has lost hundreds of trees in the heart of the city."

"These trees are 40 years, 30 years, 50 years old. What has been happening? The PWD came and actually encroached upto the neck of these trees. There was no space to breathe, no air to go in, the root had become dry."

On the aspect of loss of green cover of the city, the Court was of the view that it cannot have a situation wherein the the tree officers, DCFs "being so handicapped."

Earlier, the Court had, as an interim measure, stayed further felling of trees in the city observing that there is no other way to mitigate the ecological and environmental degradation.

The matter will now be heard tomorrow. 

Title: neeraj sharma v. Vinay sheel