In Brief
The Supreme Court addressed interlocutory applications by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) seeking permission to construct Phase-IV metro corridors on areas claimed to be non-forest lands. Rather than grant the Court's own declaration, the judgment held that statutory authorities (the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and state forest departments) must determine whether lands are forest or non-forest under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The DMRC was directed to apply through proper channels, with timelines prescribed for each authority's response. Significantly, the Court emphasized collective responsibility for reforestation, directing citizen involvement in planting trees across Delhi alongside infrastructure development, thereby balancing development with environmental protection.
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