The Delhi Forest Department has brought to the Supreme Court's attention a concerning matter regarding the felling of trees in the Ridge area of Vasant Kunj for a housing project. The department reported that "fake permission" was issued in the name of the Deputy Conservator of Forests, or the Tree Officer (West Division), to allow the cutting down of trees in this ecologically sensitive zone.

This revelation was made in a counter affidavit filed on July 10 before the Supreme Court by the Deputy Conservator of Forests/Tree Officer (West Division) of the Department of Forests and Wildlife. The affidavit was a response to a plea seeking contempt of court proceedings against the department for felling trees and levelling land in Vasant Kunj for the housing project. Environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari filed the plea, arguing that the land is a morphological ridge protected by the Supreme Court's order from May 9, 1996, thus necessitating prior court permission for any diversion. The plea stated that no permission had been sought from the court for these activities and that officials from the Forest Department and Ridge Management Board took no action to prevent it.

In response, the Tree Officer (West Division) stated in the counter affidavit that the land where the construction was taking place falls within the South Forest Division. It was discovered that a fake permission for tree felling had been issued under the name of the Deputy Conservator of Forests/Tree Officer West Forest Division to the plot owner. The West Division official reported the issue to the Vasant Kunj police station, requesting the registration of an FIR under Section 173 of Bharatiya Nagarik Surkasha Sahinta.

The police responded on February 17, stating that the forged permission was illegible. When questioned, the plot owner denied the allegation of forged permission for felling or damaging trees. The police requested the original copy of the forged permission to further process the matter; otherwise, the complaint would be closed. The forest department informed the police that the copy provided was the only one available.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter on July 21.

This incident highlights the challenges in protecting Delhi's Ridge area, which is an ecologically important zone. The Supreme Court has previously addressed issues related to tree felling in the Ridge area. In May 2025, the Supreme Court held Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials guilty of contempt for "wilful disobedience" of its orders regarding the widening of a road to the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS) in the Ridge area. The court criticized the "administrative overreach" and directed the officials to pay an environmental fee.

In a separate instance, the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) granted conditional clearance for a group housing project in Vasant Kunj, noting that while 85% of the site was within the morphological ridge, no trees were to be felled. The CEC recommended compensatory plantation and green fencing around the project site.