NEW DELHI: The Delhi Forest and Wildlife Department has issued notices to the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and the National Institute of Immunology (NII) over the alleged illegal felling of around 100 trees in Dwarka’s Sector 5.
The CPWD and NII have not yet responded to the notices.
Officials said the action was taken following a complaint from a local resident, who claimed that a dense green patch, resembling a ‘mini forest’, had been cleared within days. A forest team inspected the site on Wednesday and halted the ongoing work.
“The land belongs to the institute, and CPWD was carrying out work there. No permission was sought under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994, which is mandatory for tree-felling in the city,” a senior forest official said.
Preliminary estimates suggest that around 100 trees may have been felled, he said. “Some of the trees were relatively thin and short. We will measure their length and girth to determine whether they qualify as trees under the DPTA,” the official said, adding that an earthmover was also seized from the spot.
The DPTA defines a tree as any woody plant with branches supported by a trunk at least 5 cm in diameter and one metre in height. “In addition to restraining further activity, we have sought an explanation from both CPWD and the
institute,” the official said.