Plea in Delhi HC seeks action over cutting of trees

The residential colonies of Sarojini Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Thyagaraj Nagar, Mohammadpur, Sriniwaspuri and Kasturba Nagar are up for redevelopment under the project. The plan includes building an underground parking for 70,000 cars and a commercial centre in Nauroji Nagar.

The bench was hearing a plea from Dr Kaushal Kant Mishra, a senior orthopaedic surgeon, who challenged the environment clearance given to the housing projects.

An environment activist has filed a petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking contempt proceedings against the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) Limited Wednesday, alleging that the court’s order to not cut any trees till July 4 was violated.

Vimlendu Jha had filed a police complaint Tuesday, alleging that a tree was cut in Netaji Nagar despite the High Court order. Environment Minister Imran Hussain too had written to the forest department, directing that an FIR be lodged in the matter. No FIR, however, has been lodged yet.

The petition was mentioned before a vacation bench of Justice Vinod Goel and Justice Rekha Palli and will be heard on July 4, alongside the petition which seeks to quash environmental clearance granted for redevelopment project in south Delhi, for which close to 14,000 trees will have to be cut.

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Read: Delhi: Will plant 2 lakh trees in return, says NBCC

The residential colonies of Sarojini Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Thyagaraj Nagar, Mohammadpur, Sriniwaspuri and Kasturba Nagar are up for redevelopment under the project. The plan includes building an underground parking for 70,000 cars and a commercial centre in Nauroji Nagar.

The Aam Aadmi Party, meanwhile, said that Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan was misguiding people, adding the ministry had given environment clearance for the project. “It was his ministry that approved the environmental impact assessment and notified environment clearance to the project,” he said.

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