Delhi HC Demands Status Report on Illegal Tree Cutting Near Protected Monuments

The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the forest department to provide a status report on the tree cutting near protected monuments, specifically near Mazar-e-Ghalib and Chausathh Khamba in the Hazrat Nizamuddin area.

Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notices to the Forest Department, MCD, Delhi Police, the Superintending Archaeologist, and other relevant departments, instructing them to file a status report within two weeks.

The case is scheduled for further hearing on September 17.

The High Court has also directed the authorities to protect the trees and ensure that no further tree cutting occurs.

The Hazrat Nizamuddin Welfare Association (NGO) has filed a petition through Advocate Mujeeb Ahmed, seeking a directive for the authorities to take action against those responsible for the tree cutting. The petition also requests that the MCD remove illegal high-rise tin sheds that have been installed to obscure the trees and facilitate illegal construction adjacent to the protected monuments.

In May, the petitioner observed that antisocial elements were targeting a piece of land in the locality where various mature trees, including neem, banyan, and peepal, were being cut down. These actions involved raising high-rise tin sheds to conceal the trees from public view and enable illegal construction, which constitutes a violation of the AMSAR Act, Forest and Wildlife Act, and DMC Act, allegedly with the complicity of the officials.

On July 28, the petitioner reported that the builder mafia resumed illegal deforestation activities. Despite filing a complaint to the respondents, no action was taken to stop the illegal cutting of trees. The petitioner subsequently sent another complaint with a colored photograph, requesting an immediate halt to the ongoing tree cutting, but no action was taken.

The petitioner’s petition seeks a court order to protect the full-grown trees on the land adjacent to the historical monuments and to preserve the local ecosystem and greenery. Additionally, the petitioner has requested that the Superintending Archaeologist take stringent legal action against the illegal construction on the property in question, as per the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMSAR) Act, 1958.