Delhi govt constitutes committee to investigate tree felling in Ridge area

Delhi Environment and Forest Minister, Gopal Rai, announced on Saturday the formation of a three-minister fact-finding committee in response to the unauthorized felling of 1,100 trees in the Ridge area.

The decision was made during a ministerial meeting at the Secretariat, citing the failure to submit a status report on the tree cutting at Satbari in Chhatarpur.

Rai said that the committee, comprising ministers Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Imran Hussain, will report their findings to the forest minister for submission to the Supreme Court before the next hearing.

Rai alleged that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had illegally cut the trees without proper authorization, purportedly under verbal instructions from the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, as per emails from DDA engineers. Despite notices issued to DDA in March, Rai claimed no response was received.

He emphasised that despite directives, the forest department failed to provide a detailed report on the matter.

Rai reiterated the Kejriwal government’s commitment to enhancing Delhi’s green cover, recalling Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s pledge to plant two crore saplings by 2020, a goal achieved in four years.

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The government plans to plant an additional 64 lakh saplings over the next year. The Supreme Court recently directed Delhi’s government and civic bodies to meet and discuss measures to bolster the city’s greenery, noting concerns over dwindling tree cover and its impact on residents. (With inputs from PTI)