HC notice to Delhi government on financial irregularities in tree plantings

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Delhi government, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and others on a plea to ascertain the numbers and kinds of tree saplings planted in the national capital and its cost in the last five years, saying the government agencies' works merely on 'numerical targets'.

A bench led by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma was hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a SIT probe or an independent inquiry into the matter and the issuance of directions to the MoEFCC and all planting agencies to further give directions under the Environment Protection Act (EPA) to necessarily maintain all fresh or compensatory plantations for a minimum period of 8-10 years.

The court also sought responses of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, DDA, MCD, NDMC, CPWD, PWD, Delhi Biodiversity Council, Delhi Parks & Gardens Society, ASI, NHAI and CPCB in the matter.

The plea was moved on behalf of environmentalist Diwan Singh, raising the issue of bulk or single day plantations conducted by government agencies, which are ecologically inconsequential, and are being done to merely achieve numerical targets and publicise achievements.

The petition further raised the issue of severe scarcity of land available for plantations, the erroneous manner in which trees are planted, apart from the lack of maintenance in the initial years of plantation, leading to high mortality.

Appearing for the petitioner, Akash Vashishtha, Advocate, argued that none of the agencies the conducted plantation drives were maintaining proper records regarding the species, numbers, exact areas, geotagged locations, costs involved and survival etc. "The CAG report highlights the blatant irregularities and the virtually defunct Delhi Tree Authority," he submitted.

"No information pertaining to the plantations are made publically available on their websites," Vashishtha told the court.

"The grim survival rate is primarily because of the wrong method, single-day bulk plantations. Invasive species are planted instead of native ones which is destroying the city's biodiversity," he apprised.