SC appoints Forest Research Institute to prepare plan for Delhi's green cover

As Delhi faced the problem of depleting green cover, the Supreme Court on Monday appointed the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, to prepare an action plan in one month to enhance it in the National Capital.

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"We deem it necessary to appoint an expert agency to prepare an action plan for enhancing green cover of the area under the jurisdiction of GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi),” a Bench led by Justice Abhay S Oka said.

“When we say green cover we intend the massive afforestation drive to increase enhancing green cover which will include me initiating a massive afforestation drive to increase tree cover of the area covered by GNCTD," it said.

"We grant time of one month to FRI to file a compliance affidavit. The affidavit shall be submitted to the amicus curiae in the case,” it added.

"A copy of this order shall be forwarded to the Forest Research Institute. The institute shall file an affidavit setting out the timelines in following terms of the judgments. The agency will also set out in the affidavit requirement of funds required for the project so that necessary directions can be issued for payment of requisite amount to the agency," the Bench said, adding “The affidavit shall be submitted to the amicus curiae in the case.”

Earlier, it had directed the Delhi Government and civic agencies to convene a meeting and discuss comprehensive measures to enhance the city's green cover while observing that people were feeling the heat due to loss of green cover.

The Bench had said the forest department and the tree authority should keep a vigil on the activity of illegal damage to trees in Delhi.

"Considering the illegal and high-ended acts of the felling of trees, we issue notice to Govt of Delhi, Forest and Environment Department, Tree Authority, MCD and DDA. The secretary of the forest department will convene a meeting of all these officers in presence of the expert committee appointed for discussing the comprehensive measures for enhancing the green cover of national capital Delhi," it had said.