Citizens take to Twitter against tree felling

NEW DELHI: In a unique online protest, the citizens of Delhi joined hands with the hashtag #Dillikiazaadi to reach out to the Centre against the plan of cutting 17,000 trees at the South Delhi. While the authorities have stopped the work, various illegal cutting of trees is being reported from all over the city. Citizens' organizations, NGOS, and activists took the main initiative. The campaign would be of two days long, August 14 and 15. “We are running a Twitter Campaign called #Dillikiazaadi on Aug 14 -15, 5 pm to 8 pm to garner public support for a citizen's charter that lays out what we as citizens want from the government,” the official statement said.

The Twitter was flooded with tweets from the citizens. “Citizens of Delhi want #Dillikiazaadi from redevelopment projects that will commercialise large urban forest areas in #Southdelhi in the garb of govt housing. We need full disclosure on plans from the govt bodies,” wrote Damyanti Biswas. Another citizen Manu Moudgil, “End tree feeling in the garb of govt housing in Delhi and allow a public audit of damages caused by East Kidwai Nagar. #Dillikiazaadi from air pollution, water scarcity, and misrule." Earlier the citizens took the streets to stop such action by the government which led the government to halt the project.

Since June last, thousands of citizens have been engaged in emergency public measures to protect the trees that are being marked for felling to make way for these 'redevelopment' projects. Public actions include litigation, tree protection campaigns and street protests, tree census and bird counts. Residents are patrolling the construction sites at night to ensure compliance of the Delhi high court's stay order on tree felling by the projects. Last week a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said the high court was already seized of the issue and parallel proceedings should be avoided.