Delhi Assembly committee to send detailed recommendation to Sheila In a landmark decision that would ease the process of trimming and pruning of trees, the Environment Committee of the Delhi Assembly has held that land owning agencies like the Delhi Development Authority, Public Works Department, New Delhi Municipal Council and Municipal Corporation of Delhi can carry out these processes on their own. At a meeting on Friday, the committee said these agencies at present have to apply to the Forest Department for permission for trimming and pruning of trees, but the department keeps such applications pending for months . The committee, which is chaired by MLA Hari Shanker Gupta, enquired from the Forest Department officials why the work of trimming and pruning not being delegated to the respective land owing agency on whose land the trees stand. It also demanded to know why the Forest Department alone dealt with cutting of trees. Noting that the idea was to maintain the green cover of Delhi in a better way, Mr. Gupta said: “The land owing agencies have their full-fledged horticulture departments and the pruning and trimming is done by them even now after getting permission from the Forest Department.” The nine-member committee also resolved that the Forest Department entrusted with the job of planning and granting timely permission for pruning and trimming of lakhs of trees in Delhi had failed in its duty and has thus created a chaos-like situation due to unruly growth of trees and huge risk to life and property. The panel also expressed its apprehension about the ability of the Forest Department to supervise the forest cover of entire Delhi with its small strength of employees. On the other hand, it said, the land owning agencies have a large number of employees who are duly trained in their jobs. Yet, it said, these agencies have to depend on the Forest Department for trimming or pruning every leaf and branch of a tree. Mr. Gupta said the committee also strongly countered the argument of the Forest Department that its involvement in these matters was a must because the Forest Act requires adherence to certain technical aspects while allowing pruning and cutting of trees and many a times courts have passed strictures against the Forest Department in case of violations. The committee argued that all the agencies including the Forest Department are part of the Government and run by officials qualified for their respective jobs. “The responsibility in case of violation of the Forest Act norms are similar for all, therefore the present arrangement in this regard is to be amended and the responsibility for pruning and trimming of trees should solely be with the land owning agencies,'' Mr. Gupta said. The committee also decided that a detailed recommendation be sent to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who is Minister in-charge of Environment Department, seeking early intervention and favourable decision in the matter.