Human Chain Protest at Aam Aadmi Party Office Over Cutting of 1100 Trees in Delhi

AAP Accuses Delhi L-G of Ordering Tree Felling to Benefit Farmhouse Owners

New Delhi: In a significant demonstration of environmental activism, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) organized a human chain protest on Saturday against the felling of 1100 trees in Satbari, an eco-sensitive zone in the national capital. The protest was directed against Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, who allegedly ordered the tree cutting to benefit farmhouse owners.

Senior AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, who participated in the protest, claimed that the mass tree felling occurred during the L-G’s visit on February 3rd. Bharadwaj accused the L-G of prioritizing the interests of farmhouse owners over environmental preservation. The protest saw AAP members carrying replicas of trees and axes, and raising slogans to voice their outrage.

“The Supreme Court has been repeatedly asking the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on whose orders it cut down 1100 trees illegally. But the DDA officers were busy concealing the truth behind this. On February 3rd, Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, PWD Secretary Anbarasu, Principal Secretary (Environment) AK Singh, Divisional Commissioner Ashwani Kumar, and many other senior officers had gone to the Ridge area with the L-G,” Bharadwaj said.

Bharadwaj further alleged that despite this, none of the officials informed the Supreme Court that the L-G had visited the Ridge area and given verbal instructions to cut the trees. He claimed that the Supreme Court now has evidence from two emails sent by DDA officials that the order to cut down the trees came directly from the L-G.

He pointed to an alleged conspiracy, stating that the trees were felled to widen a road when land from farmhouses on the opposite side could have been used instead. “If they had taken about 5-10 per cent of land from every farmhouse, then the road could have been widened without harming the trees. Instead, the trees of the Ridge were cut to benefit the owners of the farmhouses. This has become absolutely clear to everyone,” Bharadwaj asserted.

Bharadwaj highlighted that the approved design for widening the road is still available on the website of the Unified Traffic And Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), which further reveals the irregularities in the felling of the trees.

Adding to the sentiment, AAP MLA from Wazirpur, Rajesh Gupta, emphasized the ecological value of trees, stating, “Trees are voiceless, but they have life. They breathe and also give oxygen to all living beings. A tree gives fruits, oxygen, and shade to three generations. Everyone knows that the pollution situation in North India is extremely bad.”

The protest saw participation from several AAP members and leaders, including Rajesh Gupta, Reena Gupta, and Adil Ahmad Khan. The protesters, some of whom wore face masks of Delhi LG VK Saxena, carried cutouts of saws and tree stumps, forming a human chain near the BJP office on DDU Marg.

AAP’s demonstration underscored the party’s commitment to environmental issues and its ongoing opposition to actions perceived as detrimental to Delhi’s green cover. The protest not only called attention to the alleged misconduct but also highlighted the broader issue of environmental conservation in urban planning.