New Delhi, June 6 (IANS) The Delhi government on Friday issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) designed to facilitate responsible and timely interventions for tree cutting and pruning in genuine emergencies, without an advance nod from the Tree Officer.
The emergency pruning has been allowed on the basis of a self-declaration by a resident, said an official.
“However, any misuse or false declaration will attract strict legal consequences under applicable forest laws,” said Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa.
Sirsa said: “The Delhi Government is fully committed to the safety and well-being of its people. At the same time, we remain dedicated to preserving Delhi’s green wealth. These SOPs strike the right balance — enabling timely action on hazardous trees while ensuring complete transparency and accountability.”
The SOPs were issued to deal with restrictions imposed on tree felling under Section 8 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA).
Sirsa informed that Section 8 of the DPTA mandates that no tree shall be felled, removed, or disposed of without prior permission from the Tree Officer.
However, it provides an exception for emergency cases, where a tree poses an immediate danger to life, property, or traffic. In such situations, RWAs, land-owning agency, individuals or responsible agencies may act without prior approval, provided they report the action to the Tree Officer within 24 hours.
To bring clarity to the application of this proviso, the Department of Forest and Wildlife has issued a framework highlighting general circumstances where immediate pruning or removal may be warranted.
“These include cases where trees are obstructing roads, bridges, drains, or sewer lines; damaging buildings or heritage structures; interfering with Metro or Railway infrastructure; or where trees are dried, dead, or leaning precariously, posing a risk of falling,” said an official.
In such situations, the agency concerned, individual, or residential society may take immediate remedial action, but must mandatorily report it within 24 hours by uploading photographs from at least three different angles, geo-coordinates, and justification for the action, along with post-action images, on the DPTA e-Forest portal (https://dpta.eforest.delhi.gov.in).
“Tree Officers will accept this as valid compliance under the Act. The Tree Officer is also empowered to act on their own, if such threats are observed during inspections or field visits,” said the official.
–IANS
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