‘Trees cut or pruned under occupation of NIEPA’

It is a separate entity, clarifies NCERT

New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) said on Friday the trees, allegedly illegally pruned and cut at its campus here, were under the "occupation" of National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, which is a separate entity.

The clarification by the NCERT comes a day after it was reported that around 33 trees were heavily pruned and five cut on its campus on Aurobindo Road without permission from the forest department.

"NCERT has nothing to do with the pruning or cutting of trees in NIEPA area," the NCERT said in a statement.

"The trees that were cut or pruned were under the occupation of National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) which is a separate entity," it added.

Acting on a complaint from an NGO, a team of forest rangers visited the campus on Wednesday and submitted its report stating five trees were cut and 33 were heavily pruned, a forest department official said.

A decision on further action would be taken soon, the official said. Cutting and even pruning of trees require permission from authorities under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act.

There has been a movement against tree cutting by various NGOs and citizens in Delhi, which started after it was reported that over 16,000 trees would be chopped off for a redevelopment project in South Delhi.