New Delhi Feb 25 PTI The Delhi High Court Friday expressed anguish over the issue of victimisation of trees in Chittaranjan Park here observing that the citizens should not suffer due to the callous disregard of rules regulations and orders to protect the environmentThe court was hearing a petition seeking contempt action against the authorities in relation to laying down of pipelines or cable lines by BSES Rajdhani Power Limited on Bipin Chandra Pal Marg and nearby areas at Chittaranjan Park which had damaged the roots of the standing trees especially within their one meter radiusThe court issued notice to BSES Rajdhani Executive Engineer of PWD Engineer-in-Chief of PWD police officials of Chittaranjan Park Police Station and Tree Officer or Deputy Conservator of Forest of the concerned areaJustice Najmi Waziri said the court was of the view that the presence of authorities was necessary as damage to the environment and to the new trees should not be allowed to carry onSystems will have to be put in place Citizens of Delhi should not suffer because of such callous disregard of rules and regulations and orders to protect the environment the court saidThe court was hearing a plea by New Delhi Nature Society through advocates Aditya N Prasad and Dhriti Chhabra seeking to initiate contempt action against the authorities for wilful disobedience to the previous orders of the high court and National Green Tribunal which mandated leaving of one metre kutcha space around trees while undertaking any construction activityThe plea added that the competent authorities regarding implementation of laws pertaining to preservation of Trees in complete subjugation of their statutory responsibilities had abetted the said workIt said the competent authorities police and tree officials who were responsible for implementation of laws pertaining to preservation of trees have abetted the contemptuous work carried out by BSES RajdhaniDuring the hearing the court noted that ex-facie the distance from the tree trunk was less than one metre and such digging and cutting up of roots was in clear violation of the orders of the high court and also of the NGTThis court has in various orders directed the government departments and agencies in Delhi to strictly adhere to the directions of the NGT Somehow the disposition of some authorities and agencies appears to be callous and not cared towards complying much with said directions While such non compliance may entail criminal proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act it does in the interim harm and victimise the trees leading to eventual damage to the environment the judge saidThe counsel for BSES Rajdhani submitted that a stretch of mere 70 metres was dug up for laying of underground electricity cables and that BSES has ensured that the trees are not been vicitimised and the one metre distance from the tree trunk was also maintainedThe court noted that the petitioner had not only informed the CR Park Police Station officials but also a number of other agencies including PWD BSES Forest Department and Tree HelplineYet no remedy has been set in place at the site The abandonment of the trees is as evident as seen in the photographs The court is of the view that contempt has been committed by the respondents There has been dereliction of duties The PWD should have stopped the work immediately The Tree Officer should have initiated action immediately upon information it observedWhile perusing the photographs placed on record the court said these trees are 25 years old at least and that is what gives ambience to the entire area of CR ParkHow can this person come up and say hum khod denge isko This is not how it should be done You cant go about damaging just because some money is being spent on that project As if people dont matter the neighbourhood doesnt matter I am just very dismayed about the approach it saidThe court said the tree officer himself would need to answer the allegations made in the petition and that it would be appropriate that the head of the department Principal Chief Conservator of Forest of the Delhi Government looks into the matter for addressing the issues urgentlyThe court also noted that the road of pavements had been realigned and were shortened which meant that a person with wheelchair bound would find it extremely difficult to manoeuvre on the footpathIt said the ongoing construction work is clearly not in tandem with requirements under the Persons with Disabilities Act and there is a lack of coordination if not insensitivity to the needs of peopleThe court listed the matter for further hearing on March 14 PTI SKV SA

New Delhi Dec 23 PTI The Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned the South Delhi Municipal Corporation officials for not moving on Vasant Vihars footpaths on a wheelchair to check their usability and asked if it was below their dignity to sit on wheelchairsThe court asked why its November 15 order in which it had said that to ensure the usability of the footpaths SDMC engineers shall traverse the entire colonys footpaths on a wheelchair without any aid or assistance from anyoneI assume your officers have done the exercise on a wheelchair Why is it not done Is it below anyones dignity to sit on wheelchairs There was a ban on demolition was there a ban on this also Was there a bar on complying with the high courts order If you think it is beyond your dignity then tell us So you do not respect the dignity of persons in wheelchairs Justice Najmi Waziri saidAdvocate Sanjeev Sabharwal representing the South Delhi Municipal Corporation SDMC said they could not demolish the ramps as there was a ban on demolition activities following rise in pollution level and that they will do it soonThe court said let the exercise of bringing the ramps built outside houses in level with the standards of SDMC be completed so that there are no obstructions to persons on wheelchairs or walkersThe court was hearing a contempt petition filed by Bhavreen Kandhari represented through advocate Aditya N Prasad alleging that the area around hundreds of trees in Vasant Vihar in South Delhi has been concretised and sought their preservation During the hearing the court was informed by the SDMC counsel that they are continuing the exercise of sprinkling water over the trees and roads to mitigate dust and pollution in the area and also cleared the malba accumulated on account of de-concretisation around the treesThe counsel for Delhi governments Public Works Department PWD also submitted that the work of watering and washing trees from Modi Mill to the airport on Outer Ring Road and Vasant Vihar residential area is being continuously carried out and they have also de-concretised the trees which are now being revitalisedThe counsel said out of 1793 trees along the Ring Road 1520 have been de-concretised and the remaining work will be done by January 15 and added that the process of numbering the trees and identifying their age is currently being carried out in coordination with the forest department and the Residents Welfare AssociationPTI SKV SRY

New Delhi [India], October 13 (ANI): The Delhi High Court has directed authorities concerned to decide the petitioner's complaint by passing a reasonable and speaking order on a complaint relating to the issue of 77 missing trees in Sarvodaya Enclave.