The Supreme Court on Friday accepted a set of recommendations made by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) including creating a customised module which would contain data on details of projects requiring cutting of trees, the number of trees to be felled or translocated, and compensatory plantation to tackle dwindling green cover in the national capital.

The apex court was hearing a matter regarding enhancing the green cover in Delhi and creating a mechanism for it. In its report filed in the top court, the CEC has recommended creation of a customised management information system (MIS) module on which data shall be uploaded by the project proponents on a regular basis for ensuring proper and timely compliance of the orders passed by the court on issues related to the Delhi Ridge.

The Ridge is an extension of the Aravalli hill range in Delhi and is a rocky, hilly and forested area. It has been divided into four zones - south, south-central, central and north - for administrative reasons. These four zones make up a total area of around 7,784 hectares.

"We accept the recommendations and direct the CEC to act upon the recommendations," a bench of Justices A S Oka and A G Masih said after perusing the committee's report.

"We hope that Delhi government has stopped exercising powers of the tree authority," the bench observed, adding, it was earlier seen that such power was being exercised by the government. The CEC, in its report, has recommended that data including details of projects, the number and species of trees to be felled or translocated, relevant court orders along with conditions that need to be complied with, compensatory plantation and subsequent maintenance activities shall be uploaded on the MIS module by the project proponent on a regular basis.

"It is also recommended that all project proponents be given a grace period of six months to comply with the conditions imposed by this court while granting permissions for tree felling for their projects and till such time their new proposals may be kept pending," the CEC report said.

It said if the project proponents fail to comply with the conditions even after the allotted grace period, then the apex court may take suitable punitive action against them.The bench said the CEC has pointed out 15 cases where permissions have been granted by the court for felling of trees subject to compliance with various conditions. However, the conditions have not been complied with, it said.

While accepting the recommendations of the CEC, the bench permitted the panel to send notices to all applicants or project proponents, who were earlier granted permission for felling of trees, calling upon them to upload compliance data on the MIS within three months.

The bench warned if the court is satisfied that project proponents have failed to upload data on compliance within three months, contempt action shall be initiated against them.