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New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Implement SOP for tree felling and transplantation: Delhi HC
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued a series of binding directions to ensure effective implementation of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the felling and transplantation of trees in the national capital. Justice Jasmeet Singh underscored that the directions are intended to protect the citizens' constitutional right to a clean and pollution-free environment. 'This Court is dealing with the rights of the citizens of Delhi and the rights protected under Article 21 of the Constitution of India to live in a clean and pollution free environment. Hence, this Court is not considering a policy decision of the respondent, but only an SOP made pursuant to the directions passed by this Court,' the Court ordered. The directions came in response to a contempt petition highlighting non-compliance by officials with earlier judicial orders. The petition raised concerns that Tree Officers were failing to provide reasons while granting permission to fell trees, in violation of court-mandated safeguards. To strengthen accountability and environmental oversight, the Court ordered that the Divisional Conservator of Forests (DCF) or Tree Officer must be involved right from the planning stage of any project that may involve tree felling or transplantation.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Delhi HC tightens norms on tree felling, orders 5-year care for plantations
The Delhi high court has laid down detailed guidelines for tree officers and authorities undertaking infrastructure projects to ensure the effective implementation of the Delhi government's new standard operating procedure (SOP) for tree felling, transplantation, and compensatory plantation, in a move aimed at safeguarding the Capital's green cover. It also sets compensatory plantation norms and caps the number of permissions that can be issued from the same parcel of land. (HT Archive) The SOP, issued by the forest department on April 24, mandates tree officers to inspect any site for which felling permission is sought to assess whether it is essential, and directs project authorities to seek clearance from the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) if 50 or more trees are involved. It also sets compensatory plantation norms and caps the number of permissions that can be issued from the same parcel of land. To achieve the intent behind implementation of the SOP, justice Jasmeet Singh, in his May 20 ruling, emphasised that applicants seeking to fell trees must not only plant new ones, but also ensure their survival for at least five years by including watering, maintenance and general upkeep. The court also specified that the trees used for compensatory plantation must be at least six feet tall, five years old, and have a collar girth of at least 10cm. 'The endeavour of this court is to only ensure that the SOP which aims to ensure felling/transplantation of trees must be implemented in an effective manner to achieve the desired objective. Additionally, the compensatory plantation shall ensure that the trees which are to be planted are not less than 6 feet in height, have a nursery life of 5 years and a collar girth of not less than 10cm,' the order read. It added, 'The applicant who moves the application for felling of trees, will file an affidavit in this court with a copy to the learned amicus appointed under these proceedings as well as with the DCF, undertaking to take care of the compensatory planted trees for a period of 5 years, including watering, maintenance and general upkeep and shall file quarterly report with latest photographs.' In addition, justice Singh ruled that tree officers must be involved from the planning stage of any infrastructure project that involves tree felling or transplantation, and banned heavy pruning of transplanted trees, which often leads to their decline. These directives were issued in response to a contempt plea filed by climate activist Bhavreen Kandhari, who alleged non-compliance with a 2022 high court order that had instructed tree officers to issue clear, reasoned decisions on felling applications. Earlier, on May 9, the court had modified its previous order requiring judicial oversight for tree felling, transferring that responsibility to the CEC for cases involving 50 or more trees. The court will retain oversight for smaller projects until the SOP is fully implemented. Meanwhile, Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, had on June 7, issued a separate SOP clarifying what constitutes an 'emergency' that allows tree felling or pruning without prior permission. This move aims to balance public safety with environmental safeguards by ensuring urgent cases are addressed swiftly, without leaving room for misuse.
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
SOP for tree felling to be tweaked in city after HC order
New Delhi: Delhi govt's standard operating procedure (SOP) on felling or transplantation of trees will need to be revised, as Delhi High Court has incorporated additional requirements to make the process more effective. In a recent order, HC underlined it is dealing with "the rights of the citizens of Delhi and the rights protected under Article 21 of the Constitution to live in a clean and pollution-free environment" and passed a slew of directions designating the forest department's tree officer to account for the overall impact on the green cover in the neighbourhood, the age of trees, and the ecosystem supported by them, with the possibility of the tree surviving transplantation, before giving the nod for felling. Justice Jasmeet Singh noted that the "tree officer is a repository of the public faith and trust", directing that in addition to the SOPs which are already gazetted, the deputy conservator of forest or tree officer will be involved at the planning stage of a project that involves tree felling or transplantation. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi "Additionally, the compensatory plantation shall ensure that the trees which are to be planted are not less than six feet in height, have a nursery life of five years, and a collar girth of not less than 10cm," the court ordered. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Irish homeowners eligible for solar 'bonus' if they live in these eircodes Activ8 Learn More Undo The high court also laid down a requirement where any person or entity seeking a nod to cut trees would need to file an affidavit in court, undertaking to take care of the compensatory planted trees for five years, including watering, maintenance and general upkeep. It said the person giving the undertaking shall file a quarterly report with the latest photographs. The trees sought to be transplanted should not be heavily pruned, the court noted, saying the authorities or tree officer should consider the number of applications made by the proponent for a particular project aside from the total footfall of the project on the environment and not just the site in question, besides the availability of alternative sites. The court said the SOP will function in line with the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, and the post-approval monitoring will be done by the deputy conservator of forest. The court's direction came while hearing a contempt plea where it had earlier noted that a tree was felled every hour in Delhi under official sanction and banned further permissions. The contempt plea said the officials in the national capital were not following the April 2022 directions requiring tree officers to spell out reasons for permitting the felling of trees.
The Print
7 days ago
- General
- The Print
Tree felling: Delhi HC passes directions to ensure effective implementation of SOP
In addition to the SOP which are already gazetted, the court directed the deputy conservator of forest (DCF) or tree officer to be involved at the planning stage of a project which involved tree felling or transplantation. Justice Jasmeet Singh underlined the rights of the citizens of Delhi and the rights protected under Article 21 of the Constitution to live in a clean and pollution free environment. New Delhi, Jun 26 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has passed a slew of directions to ensure the effective implementation of the standard operating procedure on felling or transplantation of trees in the national capital. 'Additionally, the compensatory plantation shall ensure that the trees which are to be planted are not less than 6 feet in height, have a nursery life of 5 years and a collar girth of not less than 10 cms,' the judge said on May 20. The court said the applicant seeking felling of trees would file an affidavit, undertaking to take care of the compensatory planted trees for five years, including watering, maintenance and general upkeep. The trees sought to be transplanted should not be heavily pruned, it added. The authorities or tree officer, the court said, should consider the number of applications made by the proponent for a particular project aside from the total footfall of the project on the environment and not just the site in question besides the availability of alternative sites. The officer was tasked to further account for the overall impact on the green cover in the neighbourhood, age of trees and ecosystem supported by them with the possibility of tree surviving transplantation. The court said the SOP will function in line with the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act and the post-approval monitoring will be done by the DCF. The court was dealing with a contempt plea for non compliance of judicial orders over preservation of trees after the high court observed a tree was felled every hour in Delhi under official sanction. The contempt plea said the officials in the national capital were not following the April 2022 directions, requiring the tree officers to spell out reasons for permitting felling of trees. 'It would be appropriate that the tree officer(s) give due consideration to transplantation of each tree which is sought to be cut, before granting any further permission for cutting of trees. This would entail inspection of the trees which are sought. The reason for grant or denial of permission would have to be spelt out in the order of the tree Officer along with photographs of each tree,' the high court on April 28, 2022 said. PTI SKV SKV AMK AMK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India.com
20-06-2025
- India.com
After Ahmedabad crash, Air India faces slew of passenger complaints on social media
New Delhi: Just a week after the devastating crash of Air India flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London, the national carrier is now facing intense backlash from passengers over poor service, damaged baggage, mishandled refunds, and alleged harassment, all of which are surfacing on social media platform X. On June 12, Air India's Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, claiming 275 lives that included 241 passengers and crew and 34 people on the ground, as the plane had crashed into a hostel of a medical college. The crash, one of the worst in Indian aviation history, has put the airline under a harsh spotlight. And now, passengers are voicing their long-standing frustrations, painting a troubling picture of Air India's service standards. A user named Qamar Saquib posted that on June 18, while travelling from Patna to Jeddah via Delhi on Air India flights AI-2634 and AI-991, he discovered that his gold (5.5 grams) was missing from his luggage upon arrival in Jeddah. 'I filed a complaint immediately at the Jeddah airport,' he wrote, tagging the airline for accountability. Jasmeet Singh raised a separate issue, accusing Air India of not honouring a refund promise made by airport staff. 'It's a clear case of cheating. The staff was insensitive to my mother, a senior citizen, who was travelling with my sisters,' he wrote. In another disturbing post, a user named Sakina alleged that Air India fraudulently cancelled her grandparents' tickets from Mumbai to Bengaluru, both of whom are heart patients. 'On June 9, I received an email saying the tickets for June 26 had been cancelled through the website — something I never did,' she claimed. The refund provided was a mere Rs 1,400 for tickets worth Rs 15,000, and customer service has reportedly gone silent. 'This is a scam,' she wrote, calling the act 'a breach of security' and 'fraudulent.' Yash, another flyer, said he was mentally and physically harassed when he was forced to switch seats multiple times on flight AI-558, despite pre-booking seat 12D. 'I have back problems and was shifted from 12D to 16C, and then to 29D,' he said. Passenger Rajneesh Khullar, tagging the Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA, expressed frustration over broken baggage and zero response from Air India. 'We got our bags after a week. One was broken. I have sent over two dozen emails and filed a claim (Case #23700866), but there has been no response,' he wrote. Parul Kumar, who flew on AI-309, called out the airline for 'super dirty' toilets, non-functional screens, and unresponsive attendants, despite paying AUD 1,500 for the tickets. 'Very pathetic service,' she said bluntly. Another flyer, who goes by AR, shared a video from flight AI-810 and requested Air India to change the 'dirty and worn-out tapestry' on its aircraft 'for the sake of Tata Group's reputation and in memory of late Shri Ratan Tata.' These complaints are now adding to the growing pressure on Air India, which is already under scrutiny after the deadly June 12 crash. The national carrier, which was expected to undergo a revival under the Tata Group's ownership, is now facing renewed criticism not only for technical and safety lapses but also for widespread service failures.
