Delhi HC Urges Caution in Felling Trees in a City Struggling for Clean Air

The Delhi High Court has blocked the Delhi Development Authority from clearing land and cutting down trees in Vasant Kunj, stating that such actions should be regarded as a last resort in the national capital. Justice Jasmeet Singh’s decision was in response to a petition submitted by the All Residents Welfare Society, which requested that the construction project be stopped and the complex relocated to a different location. The court highlighted the importance of investigating alternative sites before resorting to tree felling, particularly in a city grappling with air pollution. In a city gasping for breath, I am of the view that felling of trees should be the last resort. In case, any other alternative site is available, the same must be looked at, Justice Singh said. As a result, the court issued a notice to the respondents, preventing them from clearing land and felling trees on the Sector A Pockets B&C site in Vasant Kunj. The court acknowledged the plot’s transformation into a biodiversity park, featuring beautiful trees, wildlife, and birds, based on the submitted photographs.