• Source:JND
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The Supreme Court of India held Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials guilty of contempt of court in the case of tree felling in the ridge area of the capital for road widening. The project intended to facilitate access to the CAPFIMS Paramilitary Hospital, but it uprooted trees without the permission of the court. 

The Supreme Court has closed contempt proceedings against Subhashish Panda, the former Vice Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), who is no longer with the organisation. But the Court has imposed an environmental fine of Rs 25,000 on other DDA officials. This fine is separate from any departmental action that may be taken against them.

The court has ordered that DDA and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) must take urgent measures within three months. A committee formed by the court will oversee the matter.  

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Categorising the action of the development authority as criminal contempt, the court has asked the DDA to carry out afforestation to compensate for the felling of trees in the Ridge area. 

The Forest Department will implement an afforestation plan, framed by the committee, and the DDA will bear the cost of this compensatory afforestation.

A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh said that every notification regarding afforestation, road construction, tree felling or any activity with potential ecological effect will have to mention the pendency of the relevant proceeding before the court. 

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