The logic is completely missing. Pruning is needed, yes. To keep branches light so they don’t topple during monsoon. But the rains are months away, or nothing. The officials are going about lopping off entire branches in South Delhi neighbourhoods in the name of “pruning.”
This isn’t about safety; this is hacking. Trees trap particulate matter. They absorb gaseous pollutants. More foliage means better green filters. And right now, Delhi needs every single leaf it can get.
The Rules vs. The Reality
The Delhi government actually has rules in place because of this exact kind of reckless activity.
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The HC Order: The Delhi High Court had to step in, prohibiting pruning without officials making spot visits.
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The SOP (May 2025): The Department of Forests laid out guidelines under the DPTA. “Light pruning” is allowed for branches with a girth less than 15.7\ \text{cm}. Anything above that? Mandated online permission. That was the rule.
The reality? Dozens of posts on X show the rules are ignored. People are protesting the merciless hacking in Vasant Kunj, Defence Colony, and Greater Kailash-1. Groups like Delhi Trees SOS are asking, “Why are trees being cut… while the city is choking?”
The Real Reason: Corruption and Lack of Synergy
The article argues this isn’t about incompetence; it’s about corruption.
The official structure looks fine: Minister Maninder Singh Sirsa oversees the Environment and Forest Department. But at the lower rung of the staff, there is a visible lack of synergy and an absolute failure to coordinate with MCD officials.
The ultimate conclusion: The system works only when palms are greased. The junior officials are corrupt, wielding the chainsaw selectively because they get paid to. Meanwhile, people’s desperate calls to remove genuinely precarious branches often go completely unaddressed.
The governments will only release quirks in the name of solutions, the article suggests. Our only saviours? The trees. And they are being dismantled in a city that looks like it has “Tughlaq in its mental make-up.” It’s an ongoing, deeply cynical mess.
End….
