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Around 1,100 trees were cut down near Satbari in the Ridge in February 2024. Tree felling in the area is not allowed without the SC’s permission.

Around 1,100 trees were cut down near Satbari in the Ridge in February 2024. Tree felling in the area is not allowed without the SC’s permission.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

  

The Supreme Court on Wednesday noted that the wilful disobedience, deliberate concealment of tree felling in the protected Delhi Ridge area, and a series of miscommunications by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials left Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena in an “embarrassing position”

.The Delhi L-G is also the ex officio chairperson of the DDA.

“Without delving into excessive detail, it is an admitted position that the former DDA vice-chairperson (Subhashish Panda) and officials of the DDA acted in an errant manner, which not only amounted to a concealment of this court’s directions but also led to an unfortunate and avoidable misconstruction of communications attributed to the L-G, thereby placing him in an embarrassing position,” the Supreme Court judgment authored by Justice Surya Kant observed.

The petitioners had alleged that trees were chopped down on the orders of the L-G, who had visited the site on February 3 last year.

On October 16, the apex court had directed the L-G to file an affidavit explaining his alleged role and what transpired on February 3.

Mr. Saxena maintained that he had visited the road-widening site that day on his way from the CAPFIMS Hospital site, and claimed that no DDA official informed him that felling trees required Supreme Court permission.

₹25,000 fine

The court said the actions of DDA officials cumulatively resulted in “flagrant contempt” of its directions on tree felling. Closing the proceedings against Mr. Panda, as he was no longer in the DDA cadre, the court directed DDA officials found responsible by the internal inquiry to deposit ₹25,000 each as an environmental fee with the Forest Department.