NEW DELHI: A new Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna, will on Monday resume hearing a contempt plea alleging that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) felled a significant number of trees in the Delhi Ridge area without obtaining the court’s approval. The case is listed before a bench comprising CJI Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, as per the apex court’s cause list.
During a previous hearing, the then CJI DY Chandrachud-led bench sought clarity from the DDA on the measures taken to restore the ecologically sensitive ridge area and the extent of tree plantation carried out. That bench, which also included Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, had proposed the establishment of a monitoring mechanism to ensure the survival of planted trees and questioned whether an independent system was in place to verify the number of trees planted.
In response to the court’s directives, Delhi L-G VK Saxena, who also serves as the ex-officio chairman of the DDA, submitted a personal affidavit expressing regret over the unauthorised felling of trees. “The unfortunate event of felling of the trees on account of certain acts of omission and commission on the part of the DDA, without the permission of this Hon’ble Court, is deeply regretted by the deponent,” stated the affidavit.