National Green Tribunal stays felling of tree in Vasant Kunj

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday clarified that its order to stay the felling of trees in the green belt of Vasant Kunj does not restraint any other civic work going on there.

A vacation bench of the NGT headed by Justice UD Salvi also issued notices to the Delhi government and the Public Works Department (PWD) seeking their response on a plea by the residents of Vasant Kunj.

The plea says that the construction of a storm drainage system in the locality has been stopped half-way due to the tribunal’s stay on cutting trees.

“The order directs not to cut trees, except where prior permission for cutting trees has been obtained from the forest department and nothing more,” the bench said and listed the matter for further hearing on July 10.

In their plea, the members of All Residents Welfare Society of Sector 8 said that with the area around their homes already dug up and electric and telephone cables as well as water and gas pipelines lying exposed, the monsoons would spell disaster for them.

The tribunal too observed that with the onset of monsoon, the difficulty of the residents would be further compounded due to the construction of the drainage system coming to a standstill.

The residents alleged that when they met the PWD officials, the civic agency refused to help them on the ground that they cannot resume work due to the NGT’s stay order of March 18.

The residents also claimed that at present there is no functional water drainage system in the area and as most of their homes are in low-lying areas, the rain water will go into their houses if the drain is not put to place.