Scores of trees were felled in the Indian Institute of Technology in south Delhi on Thursday night.
Officials sources revealed that almost 50 trees were felled overnight and were transported out of the campus early on Friday in two trucks. The trees are being levelled for construction of a new faculty block and other construction by central public works department on the campus.
The Delhi government has enforced a strict ban on cutting trees without obtaining approval from it. The matter came light when the faculty members saw labourers cutting trees on Friday morning. “We went to the director’s office to lodge a protest but he was not in his office. When we tried to contact the administration, they didn’t show any interest,” one of the members said.
When contacted, IIT-Delhi director, Prof. Surender Prasad, said, “We have obtained permission for cutting trees from the authorities”.
However he said he didn’t have idea about the number of tress for which permission was given.
Last year, a survey carried out by forest department had revealed that 756 trees were felled in the campus while the forest department had given permission for cutting only 16 trees.
A senior faculty member, who wished anonymity, said: “We will file a complaint with forest department and Delhi police on Saturday so that action is taken against the culprits. We don’t want the institute to loose it green space. This can be catastrophic.”