The Delhi Excessive Court docket on Friday requested the Delhi forest division to point the utmost restrict on the response time taken to handle a grievance on tree felling, which may be lodged by way of its ‘Inexperienced helpline’.
The HC was listening to a plea in regards to the implementation of the usual working process (SOP) on motion to be taken towards unlawful felling and pruning of bushes within the nationwide capital. A single-judge bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh requested the division to file an affidavit “indicating the implementation” of the SOP, and the “most time that the respondent will soak up addressing a grievance”.
The matter might be subsequent taken on April 9.
The Delhi authorities counsel submitted that the Inexperienced helpline is operational, and complaints over unlawful tree felling are registered and motion is taken.
In the course of the listening to, the court docket was proven that the helpline quantity was operational. Justice Singh, thereafter, noticed orally: “We’re first right this moment, whether or not there’s a mechanism in place. It appears right this moment there’s any individual who’s answering the calls, whether or not it (motion) is going on or not we’ll get to it.”
The Delhi authorities counsel defined that after a grievance is filed on the helpline, it’s registered, following which, the quantity is conveyed to the complainant by a textual content message and subsequently, a beat officer reaches the stated location the place the felling/ pruning has taken place — as knowledgeable by the complainant.
Prasad, nonetheless, argued that there was nothing on the bottom, regardless of the Inexperienced helpline being operational. “Until you name the Deputy Conservator of Forest personally to ship somebody, this technique doesn’t work… There was an order in 2020, which clearly states {that a} grievance must be instantly registered, and the tree officer will provoke measures for coordination with the land proudly owning company, and save the tree,” stated Prasad.
Noting Prasad’s submission that it will get too late by the point motion is being taken on a grievance, Justice Singh informed the federal government counsel orally: “By the point the fast response staff comes, after two to a few days, irretrievable harm is completed. There ought to be a response inside quarter-hour to an hour most, in any other case it’s an train in futility. You inform me that that is the utmost interval inside which the grievance might be addressed and finalised. What’s it, an hour? It must be a part of the SOP, in any other case the aim of the SOP goes. Objective is that if there’s a tree being felled with out permission, it ought to be prevented there after which, and anybody ought to be capable to make a grievance.”
The counsel, thereafter, stated that he shall come again to the court docket on the outer restrict on the response time, to which Justice Singh stated that the higher restrict must be “reasonable”.
