Overview

• A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela decried inaction, saying a recent death should have been eye-opening for civic bodies.
• The court directed a survey of trees in Dwarka within 10 days and ordered pruning to be finished within four weeks of the survey’s completion.
• The case stems from a PIL by a Dwarka resident who alleged authorities were not following the government’s pruning protocol and that hazards were going unaddressed.
• The May 2 Delhi Forest Department SOP assigns pruning responsibilities to MCD, PWD, CPWD, ASI and the Delhi Cantonment Board under clear guidelines.
• The matter is listed for further review on October 29 after the court cited recurring monsoon incidents, including a fatal Kalkaji tree fall this month.