Delhi Forest Department Demands Compliance on Compensatory Plantation

The Delhi Forest Department has directed the Transport Department to transfer 50,895 square meters of land and pay Rs 40 lakh for compensatory plantation at Burari bus depot. This follows a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order citing non-compliance with afforestation requirements after trees were felled or transplanted.

Acting on an NGT order, the Delhi Forest Department has asked the Transport Department to hand over 50,895 square metres of land and to pay over Rs 40 lakh for compensatory plantation at a cluster bus depot in Burari, according to official documents.

This move comes as part of a broader effort to enforce environmental regulations. The Forest Department's communication, dated August 23, follows an NGT directive which instructed forfeiture of the Transport Department's security deposit due to non-compliance with compensatory afforestation requirements.

Documents reveal that the Transport Department was supposed to plant 10 times the number of trees felled or transplanted and maintain these plantations for seven years. Despite an initial deadline of nine months from December 2019, inspections showed inadequate efforts, resulting in a forfeiture and a further request for compliance to avoid court contempt.

(With inputs from agencies.)