Environment minister seeks help of top cop

New Delhi: Delhi’s environment minister Imran Hussaain on Thursday shot a letter to Delhi police commissioner Amulya Patnaik on the force’s inaction with respect to a complaint filed by environmentalist Vimlendu Jha in which he had given video evidence to show trees still being cut in Delhi despite the high court order. He also sought time from the police commissioner to apprise him of the matter in person.

“I have received a complaint from Vimlendu Jha, a green activist regarding felling of trees in Netaji Nagar despite stay by the Delhi high court. This is a violation of the High Court and is contempt of court,” he wrote.

 The forest department has contacted the area SHO to register FIR in the matter. However, the officers of the department have informed me that the police is refusing to register the FIR. It is requested that necessary directions may be issued for the registration of FIR for violations of orders of the high court,” he wrote in the letter to the CP.

Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha had on Wednesday said that no action has been taken against the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) despite Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain passing a circular giving clear instructions to the Delhi police to file an FIR against them.

“Despite the environment minister of Delhi has actually passed a circular giving clear instructions to Delhi Police to file an FIR against NBCC, nothing has happened,” he told a news agency.

“When I was completely helpless, I came at the Delhi High Court this morning and appealed to them that their own order from day before yesterday has been violated and it is an absolute contempt of the court and contempt of that particular order. I have filed a case and it should come for hearing on July 4th with the main case,” he added.

Mr Hussain said, “Yesterday, Vimlendhu jha ji wrote a letter to me as he went for a vigil in Netaji Nagar. He mentioned that even after the orders of the Delhi High Court the NBCC violated the order and continued cutting the trees in that area. He even sent me a video clip of the same,” he added.

Mr Hussain further said, “When he (Mr Jha) went to the police station to complain, his FIR was not registered there. After that I gave order in written to the DCF and told him to take immediate action against NBCC or whosoever is guilty in this.”

“DCF sent his man to get the FIR registered but the police of central government did not register the FIR. Our department does not want a single tree to be cut. We will get the FIR registered against the NBCC,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Mr Jha filed a contempt plea in the Delhi High Court against the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) for willful disobedience of the court’s order. The petitioner, Jha alleged that despite the Delhi High Court order, tree felling was carried out by the NBCC on Tuesday at Netaji Nagar.

The Delhi High Court on Monday had directed the state-owned construction company to not cut any more trees in the national capital till July 4.

The NBCC and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) also assured that they would comply with the order.

Around 16,500 trees were likely to be cut down for the redevelopment of the office and residential complex for central government officials in Sarojini Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Mohammadpur and Tyagraj Nagar among others.

Delhi Environment Minister had earlier written a letter to Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan to draw the latter’s attention towards the violation of rules in the felling of trees in South Delhi for the re-construction project of several colonies.

Hussain said in the letter that the National Buildings and Construction Company failed to comply with an order of National Green Tribunal (NGT) in September 2017, which stated, “The plants shall be planted as a condition precedent to the cutting of the trees.