NEW DELHI, May 6: The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee has recommended action against the Delhi Development Authority over illegal construction and felling of around 750 trees in the ridge area in south Delhi in violation of the top court’s directions and without approval from the Centre.
According to a report submitted to the apex court, the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) stated that in December last year, the DDA allotted land with ridge-like morphological features for the construction of an approach road from the main Chhatarpur road to SAARC University, Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences, and other establishments.
This was done in violation of the provisions of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980.
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The CEC said 222 trees have been felled in a non-forest area without permission under the Delhi Protection of Trees Act, 1994, for the construction of the road, and 523 trees have been felled in the area having “morphological features” without the approval of the central government under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, and Supreme Court directives.
The committee investigated the matter after a complainant claimed that local authorities did not act against the illegal construction of the road due to the involvement of the land mafia and senior officers of the Delhi government in it.
The Delhi Ridge is a rocky outcrop of the Aravalli Ranges stretching from Delhi University in the north to the south and beyond. Extending over 7,777 hectares, it consists of Northern Ridge (87 hectares), Central Ridge (864 hectares), South Central Ridge (626 hectares), and Southern Ridge (6,200 hectares).
In 1994, the city government notified Delhi Ridge as a reserved forest, commonly referred to as the ‘Notified Ridge Area’. Morphological ridge refers to that part of the ridge area “which has ridge-like features but is not a notified forest”.
Permission from the Ridge Management Board, headed by the Delhi chief secretary, and approval from the Supreme Court through the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) are required to carry out any construction in the Delhi Ridge and morphological ridge areas.
Delhi Ridge serves as the green lungs for the city and acts as a buffer against rising pollution levels. The pressures of rapid urbanization in Delhi have, over the years, threatened and adversely affected the forests in the ridge areas. (PTI)
