Expressing angry over Delhi government for its indiscriminate felling of trees the National Green Tribunal on April 9 ordered an interim stay on a road widening project in South Delhi’s Vasant Kunj till the next hearing on May 29. The tribunal also warned the Delhi government of strong action if further felling of trees took place. The government admitted that the Public Works Department had started felling trees without mandatory permission from the Forest Department.    

The tribunal also issued a bailable warrant against the chief executive engineer of the PWD because he was not present at the hearing. The tribunal was hearing a petition against the widening project filed by Sonya Ghosh, a resident of sector D3 of Vasant Kunj. The tribunal has asked the government to file a reply in two weeks. In a three-part series on March 5, 6 and 7, Hindustan Times had highlighted how the PWD widening a 3.5-km stretch from Andheria Mod towards Mahipalpur by demolishing boundaries and felling trees illegally.    

Local people had said that a 75-metre-wide road (current width is 17.2 metres) for high-speed traffic through a densely-populated colony would disturb normal life. On completion, this would be the Capital’s widest road. A local court on February 26 has already stayed work on the road-widening project in front of Sector D2 on a plea by the residents.