NEW DELHI: Nature enthusiasts in south Delhi managed to get an arbitrary tree canopy removal exercise in Vasant Kunj halted on Saturday.
The exercise involved around 95 fully-grown neem, semal and satparni trees in Sector A Pocket C of the area, which some residents wanted lopped to allow sunlight to reach their balconies.
Conscious residents of the area protested this move, saying, “There are public parks and roofs on which sunlight could be enjoyed. Merciless lopping, removing all branches and reducing trees to poles and stumps is unjustified.”
The action came after Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain tweeted on Saturday, “After (public) complaints were received regarding violation of conditions of permission, detailed inspections were carried out twice by the Forest department staff.”
“All recent permissions for concerned Horticulture Wing have been kept in abeyance and offence proceedings have already been initiated,” he said.
Verhaen Khanna of the New Delhi Nature Society said, “The Forest Department had only sanctioned ‘light pruning’ of the 95 trees which is different from ‘heavy pruning’ and ‘headbacking’, as per guidelines. In light pruning, branches of approximately 20 cm girth can be cut. But the South MCD Horticulture department, on being prodded by some residents, chopped off branches of 80 cm girth.”
“We condemn this behavior by some narrow-minded people as we can’t destroy our environment for their sake. In winter, they want sunlight and trees chopped. In summer, the same sunlight will be too harsh for them and they will sit indoors and switch on their air conditioners complaining of Delhi’s heat and pollution,” Khanna said.
Saving the city’s tree cover
The exercise involved around 95 fully-grown neem, semal and satparni trees in Sector A Pocket C, which some residents wanted lopped to allow sunlight to reach their balconies.