Delhi High Court Demands Report on Illegal Tree Felling Near Nizamuddin Monuments

The Delhi High Court has requested a status report from the Forest Department regarding the cutting of trees near Mazar-e-Ghalib and Chausathh Khamba. The court directed authorities to protect the trees and ordered a report within two weeks. The hearing is set for September 17.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a status report from the forest department over the cutting of trees near protected monuments near Mazar-e-Ghalib and Chausathh Khamba in the Hazrat Nizamuddin area. Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to the Forest Department, MCD, Delhi Police, the Superintending Archaeologist, and other departments. He directed them to file a status report within two weeks.

The matter has been listed on September 17 for further hearing. Meanwhile, the High Court has also asked the authorities to protect the trees and ensure no trees are cut down.

The Hazrat Nizamuddin Welfare Association (NGO) has moved a petition through Advocate Mujeeb Ahmed seeking direction to authorities to take action against the responsible person for cutting the trees. It has also sought direction from MCD to remove illegal high-rise tin sheds that have been installed to cut down trees and to carry out illegal construction adjacent to the protected monuments.

It is stated that in May, the petitioner noticed that some antisocial elements had a bad eye on a piece of land in the locality where various full-grown trees such as neem, banyan, and peepal exist adjacent to protected monuments such as MAZAR-e-GHALIB and Chausathh Khamba being cut down by raising high-rise tin sheds to cover the trees from the eyes of the general public to raise illegal construction over the land, which is a violation of the AMSAR ACT, FOREST AND WILDLIFE ACT, DMC ACT and with the connivance of the officials of the respondents. "On July 28, the builder mafia again started illegal activities of deforestation, the petitioner again filed the complaint to the respondents but the respondent did not pay any attention or bother to stop illegal cutting down the trees adjacent to the protected monuments," the plea stated.

"The next day, the petitioner again sent a complaint to respondents along with a coloured photograph and prayed for an immediate stop to the ongoing illegal cutting down of trees. However, no action was taken," it added. The petitioner has filed the petition seeking direction to protect the full-grown trees that existed on the piece of land adjacent to the historical monuments and further to protect the ecosystem environment system and the greenery in the locality.

The petitioner has also sought a direction to the Superintending Archaeologist to take stern legal action against the illegal construction at the property in question as per the Ancient Monuments And Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMSAR) ACT,1958.

(With inputs from agencies.)