Delhi High Court Warns: Apathy Towards Deforestation Could Turn City into Barren Desert

The Delhi High Court recently warned that Delhi could become a barren desert if the current generation remains apathetic about deforestation [Neeraj Sharma v Union of India]. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela noted that the temperature in Delhi had recently reached 52.3 degrees Celsius, emphasizing the urgent need to address deforestation with strict compliance to court directions.

Here is the full story:

– The Court made observations while addressing petitions on forest protection and management in Delhi.
– In April 2024, the High Court appointed former judge Justice Najmi Waziri to lead an internal departmental committee for forest protection in Delhi.
– On May 31, the Court learned that Justice Waziri lacked the necessary infrastructure, secretarial support, and transportation to fulfill his duties.
– The Court ordered the government to provide all required resources to the chairperson and committee by July 29.
– The committee was renamed as the Special Empowered Committee.
– The Court clarified that the committee is independent and not under the department’s purview.
– Officers from the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Land and Development Office, Central Public Works Department, and Delhi Cantonment Board were instructed to attend the committee meetings.