Delhi High Court Directs Centre To Display Environmental Cost At Construction Sites

The Delhi High Court recently directed the central government that the environmental cost, the number of trees being felled for the project and the location of the compensatory plantation should be indicated at the construction site.

While disposing of the petition Justice Subramonium Prasad also said that an officer not less than the rank of Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Urban Development should be made responsible to ensure that this order is complied with.

The high court further directed that the information would also contain the name of the civic agency that is carrying out the construction.

Advocate Aditya N Prasad moved a petition seeking direction for implementation of the Order of August 5, 2011, passed by the Central Information Commission directing all civic agencies carrying out any construction work shall also display along with the monetary costs and details of the project, the environmental cost, indicating the number of trees being felled and the location of the compensatory plantation.

The petitioner had also stated that a similar order was also passed by the Coordinate Bench of the court on May 25, 2015.

It was stated by the Counsel for the GNCTD that the State is complying with the orders in right earnest.

The petitioner disputed this fact and submitted that unless the responsibility is not fixed on an officer, the orders of the CIC will not be complied with.

Counsel for the GNCTD stated that the tree officers of the divisions concerned would be responsible for the timely updation of the data, as stated in the order passed by the CIC and this Court.

The bench took his statement on record.

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