Do you ever look at the trees around you and think about how beautiful they are?
It is so peaceful to just sit and admire mother nature.
Did you know that some people living in big cities lack compassion for trees?
These people live in the same place for years and one fine winter morning they feel like a part of a tree maybe blocking the sunlight on the small space where they are standing at that time of the day, so they selfishly chop off all the branches and leaves in a mental fit. Many of your neighbours maybe suffering from this tragic mental disorder.
We all know that a tree does not just grow full size over night, it takes years for a twig to turn into a branch. But unfortunately, some people actually believe that the tree outside their home grew overnight and it is “overgrown” and must be cut to human height without delay. These kind of people are abundant in the city of Delhi. Also, during the summer months in Delhi (10 months of the year), these very same people search for trees shade to protect themselves from the sunlight.
Talk about double standards !
Cutting branches of a tree for sunlight is illegal under section 8 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act 1994.
Some of the other illegal / stupid reasons that people use for cutting a tree are :
“branches are growing over my wall”,
“unwanted leaves or flowers falling on my private property”,
“too many birds chirping outside my house”,
“nobody can see my house from outside because of this tree, I want all the drivers, security guards and strangers to be able to see my house clearly and they should be able to see through the windows exactly which of my family member is doing what action in the privacy of their rooms”.
“what if it falls?”
What can one do to receive direct sunlight in winters?
The sun is not a stationary light bulb in the sky, it moves from east to west, so surely at some point of the day you would have direct sunlight. If not, then you can travel to the balcony of your home on another floor or perhaps make use of the roof above your head where plenty of direct sunlight falls. Each neighbourhood also has several parks, where residents of that neighbourhood can enjoy the direct sunlight.
Stop searching for sunlight when there is none.
Yes, there are people who are voting regularly who try to find sunlight at night or when the sky is covered with clouds.
You may find it funny, but people at RWA level also believe in sunlight after sunset. But, since they cant find sunlight after sunset, they behave violently towards trees in their vicinity.
Delhi is already the world record holder for creating the highest level of air pollution which is “enjoyed” by its taxpaying citizens. This pollution is caused by several sources over many months. And since we were all taught in school that trees reduce air pollution, we should be protecting each and every single leaf on every tree to battle the situation of terrible air quality in the capital. Many scientific studies have published the ill effects of air pollution on a humans physical health and their mental health. So it is no surprise that the severe air pollution is causing people in the capital to make stupid decisions with their weaker minds.
For every hour in the last 13 years, a tree has been felled in the capital, which is on record (story published in the Hindustan times), many more trees have been felled which have never been recorded. For each tree felled there was supposed to be a compensation of 10 trees planted, but that is not the reality of the situation since Delhi has a deficit of several lakhs trees. Also, from those compensated plantation, hardly 1 in 20 survive, and it would take decades before that tree would become habitable for wildlife (which lives in hollow parts of trees). Nobody can enjoy the shade of the newly planted sapling for at least 10 -15 yrs.
Just in case you were not aware, Delhi is going to be a treeless city in just a few years if the current trend continues. Your leaders have planned to focus on helping corporate interests (monetary profits) instead of helping its own taxpaying citizens health and wellbeing. Several plans have already been cleared which will severely increase the air pollution around the Supreme Court, High Court and National Green Tribunal.
So the only thing you can do to protect your future in Delhi, is to at least try to protect the trees around your own home.
If you see somebody trying to cut a tree for sunlight, please try to convince them with the points mentioned above. You can call 100 if they are cutting the tree without permission. Some people may say that they are “just pruning”, but they usually do not follow the pruning guidelines and end up slaughtering the entire tree till their mind is content.
If the trees have already been cut, send the pictures and exact location to the Forest Department, so that they can take appropriate action against the culprits.
Please write your a complaint to the following e-mail addresses along with pictures , exact location and date :
To: dcfsouth.delhi@gov.in , dcfwest.gnctd@gov.in , cfdelhigovt@gmail.com , dcfhqgnctd@gmail.com. pccfgnctd@gmail.com
You may also CC to : senv@nic.in , newdelhinaturesociety@gmail.com
How can one stop a neighbor/GF flat from heavy pruning or removing entire branches giving reasons of “blocked sunlight and falling leaves ? We have this problem every year as casual labour is hired by them to remove entire segments of the tree on days we are not at home. There must be a better way to manage this and how can one request a licensed prune so the tree is not violated / over pruned? Please help if applicable, South Delhi.
Hi, please click pictures and inform the forest department.
dcfsouth.delhi@gov.in , dcfpmgnctd@gmail.com , pccfgnctd@gmail.com , pccf-gnctd@delhi.gov.in