NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered adoption of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) involving the forest department in planning infrastructure projects that require felling of trees, saying an attempt has to be made to co-exist with nature. The permission for cutting trees has to be the last resort, it said.
Justice Jasmeet Singh said the SOP should also deal with the requirement of grant of permission before the launch of any private construction involving cutting of trees.
The order came on a petition over permissions granted by tree officers for felling of trees without passing speaking orders. The court had said last year that no permission for felling of trees would be granted in the national capital.
“Since the issue involves felling of trees for infrastructure projects and also for construction of individual houses, it is felt that an SOP be planned by the respondent (Delhi government authorities) in consultation with (certain lawyers),” stated the court.
“We are just trying to see if we can co exist with nature,” the high court said.
During the hearing, Justice Singh told the Delhi government counsel that the SOP should mandate a visit by the official concerned to the site of an individual construction for examining if the trees can be saved before sanction for felling them is granted.