How green was my city, recall Delhiites

NEW DELHI: “I will miss eating the mangoes from the tree in our compound,” said college student Shruti Suman, resident at Sarojini Nagar for three years now. The house in which Suman lives is one of few that hasn’t yet been demolished to facilitate the construction of new government housing, one among seven such projects in south Delhi. “I wouldn't want the trees to be cut down,” added Suman.
Many others too don’t support the plan to chop down 16,500 trees in these seven localities.Around 50 people, mostly activists, gathered at Palika Niwas in Sarojini Nagar on Monday evening and chanted, “Ped bachao, jeewan bachao” and “Ek bhi ped nahin katne denge”.
Hearing a petition on Monday, Delhi high court too stayed the proposal till July. Activist Anil Sood, who has petitioned the National Green Tribunal on the tree-felling plan, said, “We are very happy with today’s high court order. Hopefully, we will succeed in the complete annulment of this order.”
Most of Sarojini Nagar, the sprawling colony of government employees, is empty these days, with many residents having relocated to Andrews Ganj or Lodhi Road to enable the redevelopment of the place. With so many trees slated for removal, Dr Indira Tiwari, who stayed in Sarojini Nagar in 2000-2006, shuddered, “The government’s proposal is criminal and motivated by money. When living here, I used to feel like I was in a forest. The place was so green that walking in the scorching sun wasn’t a problem.”
A perplexed Bhupinder Pal Singh Walia, filmmaker and photographer, said, “I am surprised that lopping off a few branches requires one to run from pillar to post in the municipal corporations, but getting rid of 16,500 trees is so easy.” Having lived in the colony for 22 years, Walia recollected, “As children, my friends and I had fun climbing trees and seeking cover in the branches when playing hide and seek. Kids of the current generation don’t know how to climb trees or recognise fruit trees.”
Monday’s high court order encouraged protestor Billy Gupta, a volunteer for Delhi Trees SOS. “It is a relief, though I hope the court doesn’t keep bouncing the ball from one tribunal to another,” he said. The NGT’s order allowing the felling on the condition that the redevelopers planted saplings before cutting the trees, he said, was a bad order, which, however, was still not complied with.
“What our protests have done is made everyone talk about the problem,” said Gupta. “Till yesterday, only the Aam Aadmi Party was commenting on it, but today we saw a change in BJP’s tone. I hope the lieutenant governor also changes his view.”