New Delhi: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has released details about its correspondence with the principal chief conservator of forest (Delhi) and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) regarding the unauthorised occupation of forest land at Saidulajab in south Delhi and requested waste removal.
The communication follows a National Green Tribunal (NGT) petition by Corruption Removal Society NGO in May, which alleged that khasra number 209, a forest area in Saidulajab, was illegally occupied and unauthorised construction had damaged the forest.
NGT directed the formation of a joint committee, which during site inspections saw discrepancies. The revenue records showed khasra number 209 as 19 bighas, but only 6.2 bighas were found during physical verification, according to the committee’s Aug report.
The committee noted the area’s current usage was as a park, although revenue records classified it as forest land. There were no protective boundary markers.
The committee report, cited by CPCB, confirmed tree cover loss in the south-east section of the khasra. The absence of compensatory tall plants has made this loss irreversible. Additionally, buildings have encroached upon the forest area. Plastic waste is scattered about.
On Dec 9, CPCB issued directives to DPCC for proper removal of the accumulated waste, including construction debris, and asked it to prevent further waste disposal at the site.
A letter dated Dec 3 from CPCB to Delhi’s principal chief conservator of forest requested necessary action regarding the committee’s observed violations, noting potential enforcement under the Indian Forest Act and Forest Conservation Act.
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