SC seeks list of ‘affluent’ persons who benefited from tree felling

The Supreme Court has asked for a list of affluent persons, who allegedly benefited from illegal tree felling in Delhi’s Ridge area.

“We want the list of all those affluent persons, who benefited. We also want to know what the site plan is where afforestation can be done. Whatever damage has been done needs to be restored. We want all these details,” a Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan told senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioner, on Tuesday.

An extension of Aravalli Hill range, the Delhi Ridge is a rocky, hilly and forested area spread over 7,784 hectare. It has been divided into four zones — south, south-central, central and north — for administrative reasons.

Alleging violation of the court’s directions, the petitioner has sought contempt of court action against erring officials. According to a report of the Forest Survey of India, a total of 1,670 trees were cut, but the DDA claimed only 642 trees were cut, Sankaranarayanan had earlier told the Bench. The top court had issued a contempt notice to the DDA vice-chairman for felling of trees for construction of an approach road.

The Bench issued the direction on Tuesday after it was told that several affluent persons benefited from widening of road which entailed massive tree felling. It posted the matter for further hearing in January, 2025.

On November 7, the top court had asked the DDA about the measures undertaken to restore the Delhi Ridge area.

Stating it would introduce a monitoring system to ensure planted trees survived, it had wondered if any independent mechanism was in place to ascertain the number of trees planted.