Increase strength of forest department: NGT to Delhi govt

The National Green Tribunal today directed the Delhi government to increase the strength of the forest department and procure better equipments to prevent illegal felling of trees in the national capital.
"It is a statutory and constitutional duty of the forest department to conserve and protect the forest on the one hand while on the other hand to ensure checking and controlling of illegal activities or non-forest activities in the forest area and that the forest area is not permitted to be degraded in its form and content under any circumstances...
"We direct the Chief Secretary of NCT of Delhi to consider appropriate enhancement in the strength of the forest department and provision of proper infrastructure and such electronic or other gadgets that would ensure that all cadres of the forest department are able to discharge their duties and functions...," a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said.

The green panel also directed the Chief Secretary to hold a meeting with the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and senior most officers from forest department to consider preservation and conservation of forest in NCT of Delhi.
The judgement came on a petition filed by lawyer Aditya N Prasad alleging that concretisation of trees in various parts of Delhi was leading to weakening of the roots and eventually their death.