Plant 2000 trees in lieu of 216 chopped at Yamuna Vihar, NGT tells Delhi govt

New Delhi: Expressing concern over reckless felling of trees in large numbers, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday directed the Delhi government to plant 2,000 trees for chopping 216, in a residential colony in north east Delhi. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also pulled up the Chief Engineer of Public Works Department and warned him of imposing costs if he failed to abide by the orders of the tribunal. [caption id=“attachment_2766810” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. IBNLive.[/caption] “Respondents shall do afforestation of 2,000 trees in lieu of 216 trees felled in Yamuna Vihar,” the bench said. The tribunal had earlier restrained the city government from felling trees till further directions and directed filing of a contempt petition against it for defying its orders. The direction came while hearing a plea by advocate SD Windlesh, who had alleged that in a service lane of four square metres, in a Yamuna Vihar colony, the PWD had cut down nearly 400 trees without permission to widen the road. The plea had said the service lane had a 15 metre-long lush green belt of trees that attracted residents in the mornings for walking, jogging and enjoying fresh air, but all was destroyed.