‘Act against CPWD for illegal tree pruning’

The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has recommended action against the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for installing underground water tanks and pipelines at the Buddha Jayanti Park in the Central Ridge without taking requisite permissions.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

In a new report, CEC estimated that at least nine trees were illegally pruned for such construction work, and asked the Supreme Court to direct CPWD to restore this impacted area by planting at least 90 indigenous trees species and three concentric rows of at least 1,000 indigenous fruit bearing trees and shrubs on the park’s periphery this rainy season.

‘Among the other recommendations were the development of water bodies, the creation of a nursery, rainwater harvesting, a composting facility, labelling of plants, and the preparation of an inventory of birds and butterflies as restorative and compensatory measures for the violations, it said in the report dated August 20.