Two months after the Delhi High Court invalidated the city government's guidelines for tree pruning, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Wednesday that a new set of rules would be formulated after consultations with stakeholders in August.
Currently, the city government's guidelines allow the regular pruning of tree branches with a girth up to 15.7 cm without seeking permission from the tree officer. However, the court ruling stated that tree pruning in Delhi should only be done in accordance with the Delhi Protection of Trees (DPT) Act, which requires mandatory permission from the tree officer.
"We are aware that both the general public and government agencies have been facing problems due to overgrown trees. These issues could lead to unfortunate incidents during inclement weather. To address this, we have scheduled a meeting with experts, resident welfare associations, environmentalists, and other stakeholders in August to gather their opinions before revising the tree pruning guidelines," Rai told reporters during an interaction.
Rai also emphasised that the government is committed to comprehensively addressing the problem of concretisation around trees, which weakens their roots and makes them susceptible to uprooting.
The National Green Tribunal had imposed a ban on concretisation within a one-metre radius of the trunk in 2013, but its proper implementation in the city is still pending.
Rai also said the 'urban farming' initiative will be launched in September.
This initiative will encourage the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and other plants on terraces to deal with the issue of diminishing green spaces caused due to urbanisation and rising population density.
-With PTI Input
