Vasant Kunj road widening:HC asks status quo on tree felling

Delhi High Court, which had earlier stayed felling of 800 trees to widen a road in South Delhi's Vasant Kunj area, today directed maintenance of status quo in this regard and asked PWD to explain how it proposed to cut so many trees when only 226 were earmarked.
DDA's specialised agency, Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), had earmarked felling of only around 226 trees for the project.
"UTTIPEC says 226. So from where did you get 810? What probability is this," asked Justice Rajiv Shakdher while issuing notices to Delhi government, PWD, Forest Department and DDA on the issue and directed that the plan proposed by UTTIPEC, be also placed on record.

The order was passed on the plea of Vasant Kunj resident Bindu Kapurea, challenging a January 5 decision of the Appellate Authority on preservation of trees' which had upheld the Deputy Conservator of Forests' decision to permit removal of over 800 trees from the area to facilitate widening of a road from Andheria Modh to Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj.
The plea was filed after the court on January 6 granted three weeks time to Kapurea to challenge the order and directed maintenance of status quo on felling of trees during that period.
In response, Delhi government standing counsel Zubeda Begum said the figure of UTTIPEC was tentative. She also said the forest department gave permission to fell the trees only after the number of trees to be removed were given to it.

Earlier, the high court had stayed felling of trees in the area and had directed Kapurea to appear before the authority, which would grant her a fair hearing.
She had then stated in the court that she was not opposed to the widening of the road in question, but there may be instances where trees in certain sections could be saved without interfering with the project.