In wake of the tragic incident in Kalkaji where a person lost his life after a tree fell on him amid rain, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday issued strict instructions to all road-owning departments to urgently identify and address trees that may pose a risk to public safety.
File Photo: IANS
In wake of the tragic incident in Kalkaji where a person lost his life after a tree fell on him amid rain, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday issued strict instructions to all road-owning departments to urgently identify and address trees that may pose a risk to public safety.
The CM has directed that such trees be pruned, removed, or transplanted as per regulations, with priority given to areas witnessing high pedestrian or vehicular movement.
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She emphasized that during the monsoon season, strong winds and heavy rainfall significantly increase the risk of large, unsafe, or decaying trees causing accidents, obstructing traffic, or damaging public utilities such as power lines.
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Gupta stated, “Proper maintenance and timely intervention will not only prevent accidents but also ensure smooth traffic movement and protect essential services.”
Stating that the safety of Delhi’s residents is the government’s foremost priority, the CM has ordered all concerned departments to take immediate action.
She has also instructed that responsible officers be designated in every department and agency to monitor the work, ensure compliance with safety standards, and submit timely completion reports.
“Our responsibility is to ensure such incidents never happen again. Every citizen deserves to live in a safe environment, and we will take every necessary step to make that happen,” Gupta added.
On Thursday, a 50-year-old man died after being crushed by a tree that fell on him amid rain in the Kalkaji area, while his 22-year-old daughter was injured in the incident.
Meanwhile, PWD minister Parvesh Verma has said that Delhi witnessed more than average rainfall on Thursday, yet the department teams worked in a mission-mode to ensure traffic movement across the city was restored quickly.
He mentioned that on a tragic note, a life was lost in Kalkaji due to a tree fall.
He said that all concerned agencies have been instructed to immediately prune or cut any tree leaning more than 15–20 degrees or showing signs of weakness to prevent such incidents in the future.
A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) under Section 8 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994) has already been issued, formally defining what qualifies as an ‘emergency’ in which trees may be pruned or felled without prior permission.
” This SOP will be uniformly followed by all agencies to ensure public safety while maintaining compliance with environmental laws,” he added.
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