Now pay Rs 28K to cut a tree...

Thu, Feb 25 05:32 PM

The Delhi government has decided to increase the security deposit for cutting a tree from Rs 1,000 to Rs 28,000. The state cabinet approved the changes on Wednesday.

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit said she hoped it would discourage people from cutting trees unnecessarily.
As of now, people who want to cut a tree are required to take permission and then deposit Rs 1,000 per tree as security money, which is refunded after they plant 10 trees for each one they cut.
According to an environment department official, it costs nearly Rs 2,500 to plant one sapling and people prefer to forefeit the security deposit rather than planting 10 trees.
Applicants wishing to cut a tree will now have to deposit Rs 28,000 as the security money and this will be split into two categories, said an official.
" Half of it would be given to the forest department that will replant five of the 10 trees required to be planted. The remaining half would be refunded to the applicant after he plants the five trees," the official added.
Dikshit said it was becoming difficult to ensure that the trees being cut were replaced as per the law.
"Because of non- availability of land, meagre amount of security and the inadequacy of monitoring mechanism, it was becoming difficult to ensure compensatory plantation," she said.