Ensure no encroachment in Asola Sanctuary: HC

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Delhi government to inform it about whether any encroachment has taken place in Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary and Central Ridge forest. The high court also directed the city government to ensure that forest land is free from any encroachment, and place before it any stay orders passed by courts with respect to alleged illegal colonies constructed in forest area.

“It can’t be that 700 illegal colonies are operating from the forest without any stay order. There should be no encroachment. The land should be encroachment free,” a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said. The bench asked the Delhi government to file a short affidavit explicitly stating that there is no encroachment in Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary and the Central Ridge.

The high court was hearing a batch of PILs on the problem of poor ambient air quality in Delhi, an issue which it has also taken up on its own (suo motu) and appointed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) to assist it in the matter. Senior advocate Kailash Vasudev, the amicus curiae in the case, submitted there exist around 1,770 unauthorised colonies in the national capital which have been sought to be regularised. Out of these almost 700 are on common village lands and in forest areas. The high court had earlier directed the Delhi government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to explain how clearances were granted for new constructions in the Southern Ridge forest area where a multi-storey housing project has already come up.

The amicus curiae told the court about alleged illegal construction activities being carried out in Chattarpur within the Southern Ridge. The high court had observed that the national capital was losing its forest cover “drastically” and “injustice” was being done to nature. The amicus had earlier also shown certain photographs to the court to highlight the loss of forest cover, especially in areas around the Asola sanctuary, airport and Rashtrapati Bhavan.