New Delhi: Amid growing concern over depletion of green cover and life threatening pollution levels in Delhi-NCR, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has sought Supreme Court’s permission to cut 473 more trees to widen the road leading to the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS) Hospital in south Delhi.The authority and its officials, who escaped contempt charges by a whisker in SC last year for cutting down 642 trees without the court’s approval, also sought its permission for diversion of 2.97 hectares of forest land for road construction and translocation of 2,519 saplings. SC had last year let off the officials without punishing them for contempt on the ground that the project was of public importance.Urging the court to allow it to cut 473 trees, DDA said widening of the approach road was needed to facilitate movement of ambulance and patients to the hospital. It said CAPFIMS is a “very important project” to provide treatment and medical care to injured paramilitary personnel and it will work under the aegis of AIIMS. The authority told the court that the hospital is ready to function but can operate only after widening of the road, which as per prescribed norms should be 24-metre-wide.“It is submitted that a road already existed there which was/is catering to these locations. For the timely and smooth transportation of seriously injured paramilitary personnel as well as emergency patients for treatment to this hospital, widening of the road has to be carried out. The work of widening of the approach road had been envisaged on a stretch of 2.72 km, starting from the main Chhatarpur road up to the hospital, and also providing better connectivity to other establishments, including Saarc University, CBI residential quarters, and CISF residential complex,” it said.DDA said the current width of the road, which is about 7.5 metre, is inadequate to handle ambulance operations in emergency conditions as well as increased in traffic resulting from the operationalisation of the hospital. It also said DDA has identified a 3.68 hectare of non-forest land parcel at Dhoolsiras Dwarka for compensatory afforestation purposes.Referring to the May 2025 order by which the court disposed of contempt proceedings, DDA said “…in view of the peculiar facts, circumstances and antecedents of this case, DDA, most humbly and respectfully craves further indulgence of this court in granting permission for the widening/construction of the road, which would not only serve the larger public purpose but also facilitate and benefit the forthcoming developmental projects in the area.“In its last year order, the apex court had pulled up DDA and said, “It is only the overwhelming public interest served by the establishment of CAPFIMS that has, in effect, overshadowed the sheer administrative incompetence and blatant disregard for both established procedures and the orders of this court. It is the good fortune of the DDA officials concerned that this larger objective has weighed in their favour, without which this court may have been compelled to adopt a far more stringent approach and deal with an iron fist.““Accordingly, we deem it appropriate to also direct the DDA that henceforth, every notification or order relating to afforestation, road construction, tree felling, or any activity with potential ecological impact must explicitly mention the pendency of relevant proceedings before this court. This direction is being issued to ensure that, in future, the plea of ignorance is not taken as a defence,” SC had said.
