Supreme Court finds DDA officials in contempt over tree felling in Delhi’s Ridge Area
The tree felling began before the DDA filed an application, which the Supreme Court ultimately rejected on March 4, calling it very vague.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday (May 28) held Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials guilty of contempt for unauthorised tree felling in Delhi’s ecologically sensitive Ridge area during a road widening project. However, the court clarified that the violation stemmed from "administrative misjudgement" rather than malafide intent.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh delivered the verdict in response to a contempt petition alleging the DDA had defied previous court orders, including a 1996 ruling and a March 4, 2024, ban on tree felling. The case also implicated Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena and IAS officer Subhasish Panda in their capacities as DDA chairman and vice-chairman, respectively.
While the court spared Saxena and Panda from punishment, it imposed a Rs 25,000 fine on DDA officials for the lapse. The bench directed the DDA to implement extensive afforestation in the area and ordered the formation of a three-member committee to monitor the greening initiative. The panel is tasked with ensuring dense tree cover along both sides of the road.
In addition, the court instructed the DDA to levy a one-time charge on affluent residents in the Ridge area who may have benefited from the road widening.
The issue stems from the cutting of around 1,100 trees starting February 16, 2024, to make way for an approach road to the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS) Hospital. The tree felling began before the DDA filed an application, which the Supreme Court ultimately rejected on March 4, calling it “very vague.”
The contempt proceedings were launched to assess the seriousness of the violations and determine accountability for ignoring binding judicial orders protecting the Ridge.