South Delhi residents, green activists protest tree felling
NEWDELHI: Residents and environment activists have taken the onus of saving over 16,500 trees in seven south Delhi neighbourhoods, likely to be sacrificed at the altar of development, upon themselves.
A citizens’ i nitiative has started relay protests, where smaller groups of residents from across the city will visit the construction sites to voice their protest against felling of over 16,500 fully-grown trees in these neighbourhoods.
This group comprises people from all walks of life, who have joined hands against the permission granted for this, urging the city and the Union government to withdraw permissions and put a stay on the tree cutting.
On Saturday evening, around 50 people gathered with placards and candles at south Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar, which is likely to face the most damage by the redevelopment of central government quarters by the NBCC. As per the environment impact assessment clearance, Sarojini Nagar will lose 11,000 out of the total 13,128 trees in the area.
Other areas that will also lose its green cover are Nauroji Nagar where 1,465 trees are slated to be chopped off, Netaji Nagar where 3,033 trees will be cut and Kasturba Nagar where all of the existing 520 trees will be felled.
Apart from this, Thyagaraja Nagar and Mohammadpur will lose 108 and 447 trees respectively. “The felling of 16,500 trees is a huge price to pay for development. Also, with the current pollution levels in Delhi we cannot afford to do any more damage to the existing ecology. We are here to protect our right to breathe and our right to life,” said Anu Srivastava, a resident of CR Park, who took part in the protest.
Smaller groups kept visiting the sites throughout Saturday. The residents have also called for a march against the project’s “apathy towards the environment” on Sunday, which is likely to be attended by several political groups.
Around 4.30 pm on Sunday, supporters of the cause will assemble near the Sarojini Nagar police station to voice their concern. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also announced its support for this march.
Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP spokesperson, said that they will be a part of this protest in a “nonpolitical way” and urged people to join in huge numbers.
“These pockets in south Delhi are the lungs of the city and they are planning to cut nearly 17,000 trees only to make way for accommodation for central government employees. This is a huge number,” Bharadwaj said.
The permissions for the felling of these trees continued to be an issue of tussle between the AAP government in the city and the BJP at the centre.
On Saturday, Union minister Harsh Vardhan also became a part of the ongoing blame-game, claiming that as per norms, the Delhi government is responsible for granting permission to cut any tree that fall in the ‘non-forest areas’ of the city. He said that the Centre had nothing to do with it.