New Delhi
The national capital’s local governments have been ordered by the Delhi High Court to provide a comprehensive schedule for the prompt removal of concrete surrounding trees.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was among the authorities ordered by Justice Singh to produce an affidavit detailing the total number of trees concretized, the number of trees successfully deconcretized, and the number of trees still awaiting deconcretization.
The order was given during a plea hearing that addressed the urgent matter of preserving trees in the nation’s capital.The court requested an explanation for any postponements as well as an exact timeline for finishing the unfinished deconcretization. The next hearing is set for January 29. The court ordered the affidavit to be submitted within two weeks and verified within four weeks of that date.
The appeal emphasized the negative effects on the environment and the government’s inaction on the concretization of trees in Vasant Vihar. In the past, the court had chastised the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, characterising tree concretisation as a grave violation of human rights because of its deleterious effects on the environment.
The court emphasized the importance of tree-lined avenues and footpaths, underscoring the constitutional guarantee of citizens’ freedom of movement and declaring that civic amenities should not obstruct this fundamental right.
