In a significant order, the Supreme Court on Thursday gave its go ahead to a move of the Delhi government’s forest department to clear “invasive species” of trees in the Central Ridge – billed as the capital’s green lungs.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana agreed with the contention of the forest department that trees like invasive species like ‘Vilayati Keekar’ (Prosopis juliflora), Babool tree (Vachellia nilotica) and Eucalyptus need to be uprooted to make way for the trees like Neem, Banyan, Peepal, Jamun and Amaltas tree (Cassia fistula).
The bench, however, said the forest department will carry out this exercise under the approved Delhi Eco-restoration Plan 2026-30 prepared by Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun and would be overseen by Delhi Ridge Management Board.
It said that the department will submit an interim compliance report and the director of FRI will constitute a team of experts to examine the implementation of the plan.
The top court stayed the contempt proceedings initiated before the Delhi High Court.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the forest department, said that it is a big area and around 13,000 invasive trees need to be uprooted so that new trees can be planted in the area.
Lt Col (Retd) Sarvadaman Singh Oberoi, managing trustee of the Aravalli Bachao Citizens Movement, filed a contempt petition before the high court alleging violation of court orders on construction, clearing and excavation activities at the Central Ridge.
Oberoi was represented by senior advocate Shoeb Alam.
The forest department challenged the Delhi High Court order of August 20, by which it had directed to ensure that no construction activity, clearing, excavation or removal of trees or shrubs is carried out in the Central Ridge area.
On Thursday, Alam said he has no issue with the plantation of new trees but the manner in which the forest department is uprooting the old trees, it is damaging the top soil, which is rich in minerals.
CJI Kant told Alam that these Eucalyptus and Vilayati Keekar tree species are such that they not only lower the underground water level but also destroy the soil, which would result in no other plant growing near them.
He said that unless these trees are uprooted from the very roots, they would again come back.
“In 1970s as the paper industry grew, farmers in India without knowing their harmful effect started planting Eucalyptus and other trees. Nowadays, nobody plants these trees. Now farmers have found a substitute in the ‘Popla’ tree, which is eco-friendly and can be used in timber as well as in paper industry,” the CJI said.
He further said that only some forest officials who adopt unscientific methods plant these trees like on the roadside, which has now become a cause of road accidents.
Alam agreed with the experience of the CJI in the agriculture field but said that he has no problem with planting of alternative species and was worried only with the methodology adopted to uproot the existing trees.
Bhati refuted the charge and said that everything was done according to the approved plan.
She submitted that according to the annual plan for 2026-27, a total of 22,188 invasive trees over 191 hectares have to be removed and, in their place, 7,29,000-odd trees and shrubs are to be planted.
Bhati submitted that as of now, 9,000-odd invasive trees have been removed and in their place, 5,31,000 shrubs and trees, comprising around 2,23,000 trees and 3,07,000 shrubs, have been planted over approximately 120 hectares.
“About 13,161 invasive trees are left to be removed over approximately 70 hectares, and indigenous trees are to be planted. The difficulty is that the monsoon season will end in September. If we do the plantation after the month of September, it will not yield the required results,” she submitted.
