New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday (February 17) appointed the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, to prepare action plan for enhancing green cover of the area falling under the jurisdiction of Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).
A bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan gave the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, one month of time to file an affidavit setting out timelines and the requirement of funds.
Plan for enhancing green cover will include initiating a massive afforestation drive: Apex Court
The bench said that the plan for enhancing green cover will include initiating a massive afforestation drive to increase tree cover of the area covered by GNCTD.
“We grant time of one month to FRI to file a compliance affidavit. The affidavit shall be submitted to the amicus curiae in the case,” the bench said.
Apex court earlier directed Delhi government, civic agencies to convene a meeting and discuss comprehensive measures
The top court had earlier, while observing that people were feeling the heat due to the loss of a green cover, directed the Delhi government and the civic agencies to convene a meeting and discuss the comprehensive measures to be taken to enhance the green cover of National Capital Territory of Delhi.
The apex court had said that it expected the Forest Department of the Delhi Government and the Tree Authority to keep a constant vigil in the entire area of the National Capital Territory of Delhi about the activities of illegal felling or damaging of trees, stating unless these two authorities do so, the very purpose of enacting various forest and tree laws will be completely frustrated.
Apex court earlier proposed to appoint an agency to suggest measures for enhancing green cover
The court later noted that no satisfactory progress was made in terms of what it expected and proposed to appoint an agency to suggest the measures for enhancing the green cover and forest cover of National Capital Territory of Delhi.
“On 26th June, 2024, we had directed the Secretary of the Forest Department of the Delhi Government to convene a meeting to discuss the comprehensive measures to be taken to enhance the green cover of National Capital Territory of Delhi. No satisfactory progress has been made in terms of what this Court expected. We, therefore, propose to appoint an agency to suggest the measures for enhancing the green cover and forest cover of National Capital Territory of Delhi. We permit the learned amicus curiae to suggest the names of the agencies which will be able to take up this task,” the court earlier said in its order.
The issue of green cover in the national capital was taken up by the court after after a contempt of court petition was filed before it alleging the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) cut hundreds of trees without the permission of the court on the instructions of the Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena.
