Supreme Court Flags Green Cover Concern, Says Issue Extends Beyond Delhi

The bench directed that the affidavit be submitted within two weeks and should clearly explain the legal framework under which such bodies have been set up. File Photo.

The Supreme Court of India has asked the Centre to file an affidavit detailing how statutory and non-statutory bodies have been constituted to manage forests, green areas and environmental concerns across the country.

During a recent hearing, the bench directed that the affidavit be submitted within two weeks and should clearly explain the legal framework under which such bodies have been set up. The court said clarity is needed on how different authorities dealing with environmental issues are structured.

The matter was being heard in connection with issues related to the Delhi Ridge. During the proceedings, a counsel appearing for the Centre informed the court that a notification regarding the formation of the Delhi Ridge Management Board was issued on December 1 last year.

Senior advocate K. Parameshwar, assisting the court, referred to the November 11 judgment in which the Centre had been directed to grant statutory status to the Delhi Ridge Management Board and make it a single-window authority for matters related to the Ridge and the morphological Ridge.

The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi, also observed that the approach to green cover needs to change, noting that it should not be seen as a concern limited only to the national capital.

The Delhi Ridge, part of the Aravalli Range, spans about 7,784 hectares and is divided into four zones for administrative purposes.