HC appoints Sunita Narain to look into Vasant Kunj tree felling

Earlier this year, Vasant Kunj resident Bindu Kapurea had challenged the decision of the Appellate Authority on preservation of trees’. The Authority had upheld the orders given by the Deputy Conservator of Forests, approving of the proposal to cut the trees.

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The court had earlier asked the Public Works Department (PWD) to explain how it proposed to cut so many trees when only 226 were earmarked by Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) specialised agency – Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC).

DDA and PWD had informed the court that the number of trees indicated in the UTTIPEC plan was “tentative” and it was revised later. The agencies had also claimed that Kapurea and other residents had been consulted while making the proposal and plans.

In her plea, Kapurea has challenged the proposal to cut the large number of trees and has claimed that there are certain sections of the road where trees do not need to be cut.