New Delhi: The Delhi Congress on Tuesday accused the BJP government at the Centre and AAP government in Delhi for the felling of 16,500 trees in the national capital. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal, the party demanded an immediate rollback of the decision to cut the trees, redesigning of the redevelopment project, and reallocation of trees using available scientific technologies in addition to fixing “accountability” for such a negligent act.
State Congress chief spokesperson Sharm-istha Mukherjee said the Delhi Mahila Congress’ ‘Save the trees’ awareness campaign will present saplings to 1,000 eminent citizens with messages on them to save the trees. “We will be sending saplings to everyone who is directly or indirectly related to the felling of trees. This letter and the sapling is a symbolic gesture to remind you (ministers) of your responsibilities,” she said.
Among those who would be presented with the saplings are Mr Modi, Mr Kejriwal, Mr Baijal, Union urban development minister Hardeep Singh Puri, and Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain. Senior ministers and bureaucrats from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi forest department, National Green Tribunal (NGT), and Delhi public works department (PWD) along with other prominent artists, activists, and journalists will also be a part of the party’s list.
Congress also addressed the issue of the felling of 1,700 trees on Mathura Road. Ms Mukherjee said, “The Mathura Road canopy, which used to be the pride of Delhi, has now vanished. It is surprising and shocking to see that the public works department has been recklessly cutting trees for the integrated transit corridor development.”
She termed city minister Satyendra Jain’s stand on this as “completely hypocritical.” According to the party, only after witnessing massive protests by the people of Delhi did Mr Puri say that he will redesign the project.
“But the point here is, why didn’t they think of ‘redesigning’ the project before chopping off the trees. Why was appropriate planning not done before the execution?” she wondered.
She added that under former CM Sheila Dixit’s tenure, the tree cover in Delhi had reached to 22 per cent.
She accused AAP and BJP of debilitating Delhi’s tree cover.
