Tree Officer Orders Dwarka Sector 23 RWA to Plant 70 Saplings After Felling Seven Trees
The tree officer has directed the management of Navrattan Apartment in Dwarka’s Sector 23 to plant 70 saplings and maintain them for seven years following the illegal felling of seven trees on the premises.
The directive was detailed in a report dated July 28 submitted to the National Green Tribunal. According to the submission, the action follows a complaint registered on May 19 regarding the alleged unlawful cutting of trees at the residential complex in violation of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act.
Following an official site inspection, formal legal proceedings were launched under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994. The action was initiated against three individuals from the residential complex, specifically the apartment’s president, secretary, and an association member.
As part of the penalty, the apartment authorities have been ordered to carry out the plantation of 70 saplings at the same location or at an adjacent site. The tree officer outlined precise criteria for the replacement trees, mandating that the saplings comprise native mixed species, including neem, bargad, peepal, pilkhan, and arjun.
The order further stipulates that each sapling must be at least six feet tall, have spent a minimum of five years in a nursery, and measure not less than 10 centimetres in collar girth.
In response to the allegations, the president of the apartment stated that the seven felled trees were dry and posed a danger. The tree officer’s report indicated that the legality of cutting the trees under these circumstances will be formally examined during the course of the ongoing proceedings.
Additionally, the tree officer instructed the apartment management to ensure adequate and effective protection to prevent damage to the newly planted saplings. To facilitate regular monitoring of their survival and upkeep, the society must submit quarterly progress reports accompanied by recent geo-tagged photographs once the compensatory plantation is completed.
