The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked for a list of affluent persons, who reportedly benefited from illegal tree felling in Delhi’s Ridge area and sought to know the site plan for afforestation.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan was informed that several affluent persons benefited due to widening of road which entailed massive tree felling.

"We want the list of all those affluent persons, who benefited. We also want to know what is the site plan where afforestation can be done. Whatever damage has been done, needs to be restored. We want all these details," the bench told senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioner who alleged contempt on part of the officials.

The bench posted the hearing in January, 2025.

On November 7, the top court asked the DDA about the measures undertaken to restore the Delhi Ridge area.

Observing it would introduce a monitoring system to ensure planted trees were surviving, the top court wondered if any independent mechanism was in place to ascertain the number of trees planted.

The ridge is an extension of Aravalli Hill range in Delhi and 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 of about 7,784 hectare.

The bench was dealing with a plea seeking action against erring officials for the alleged illegal tree felling in the area.

Sankaranarayanan previously said that according to a report of the Forest Survey of India, a total of 1,670 trees were cut, but the DDA claimed it was only 642 trees.

The top court had issued a contempt notice to the DDA vice-chairman for felling of trees for construction of an approach road.

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