NEW DELHI: The state forest department has issued a “restraining” order to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for felling trees in a portion of the under-construction Bharat Vandana Park in Dwarka “without having permission” for the same, said officials on Tuesday.
The restraining order issued by the Delhi government’s forest department on June 9 to city’s urban housing and planning body said: “This office is in receipt of a complaint regarding violation of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA)…in this regard, the site has been inspected by an official of the West forest division … upon which it was found that many trees have been felled at the Bharat Vandana Park, Dwarka ..You are directed to cease all the excavation and construction work at the said land so that no further damage to the trees shall be done. No construction activities should be done on the said land without permission under relevant law.”
According to a senior forest official, a revised order of June 10 allowed the DDA to resume work at the site which is spread over 200 acres except for an area of approximately 7-8 acres, where many tree logs were found during the inspection. “Even though the DDA has been insisting that it was just some bushes (shrubs) that were cleared, our staff has found logs and are certain that trees have been felled and that too without having any permission for the same whatsoever.
We are yet to get an estimate of the number of trees cut and impose a fine on the agency for the same. If need be, further investigation in the case shall be done,” said DDA officials said that as per a revised order of the forest department, work has been resumed at the site except for a small portion where it is still restricted. “The work has resumed leaving only a certain water body area, about 5 per cent of total area, as stated in the revised order of the forest department (of the Delhi government) issued on June 10, 2022,” said a senior DDA official, who didn’t wish to be named.
The DDA, which is under the Central government, is developing the Bharat Vandana Park; an area spread over 220 acres of greens in Dwarka sub-city as a major tourist destination. The site will also have a “Mini India” park that will have replicas of monuments from different states. The DDA had roped in NBCC India in 2019 to develop the park. Even before construction had started, the project was opposed by environmentalists.