No more trees will be cut for south Delhi projects: Centre

NEW DELHI: Facing public anger against the proposed felling of thousands of trees in the capital, the

Centre

on Thursday said no more trees would be cut for redevelopment of the seven government colonies that have been the target of chipko-like protests from green activists.


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The two construction agencies of the government — National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC)and Central Public Works department (CPWD) — will rework the layout design to avoid cutting down trees, it said.

“It was decided at a meeting that no big tree will be cut. Small trees will be transplanted and more than a million trees planted by different agencies during this monsoon,” housing and urban affairs secretary Durga Shankar Mishra said, adding that the decision had been taken in view of public concerns. The trees to be planted will not be saplings but of 8-12 feet height, the government said. Housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri promptly tweeted, “I have always maintained that the green cover in Delhi will not be damaged and steps taken to enhance it further... no tree will henceforth be cut in the process of redevelopment of Delhi colonies.”

Delhiites’ view to be taken on moving trees
Green activists and citizens had come out against the large-scale cutting of trees in the past few days and the matter had reached the Delhi high court, which had stayed all felling till July 4. TOI had on Thursday reported that NBCC had asked its architects to revisit the layout plans of the colonies being redeveloped to avoid cutting of trees. Sources said nearly 8,300 trees were proposed to be cut for the redevelopment of Sarojini Nagar alone. Mishra said small trees will be transplanted and NBCC has floated an expression of interest for acquisition of tree relocation/transplantation equipment and engaging the services of trained entities for this task. “We will involve citizens’ groups to suggest where these trees will be transplanted,” the secretary said.

The meeting, chaired by Puri, also advised lieutenant governor Anil Baijal to set up acommittee of experts and citizens to interact on environmental issues while preparing such plans in the future. Responding to questions on the redevelopment projects were an example of how plans are made without involving people and stakeholders, Mishra said, “All these colonies are government land and since there is no private land, people’s participation was perhaps not felt.” Meanwhile, the Centre has reiterated its stand saying environmental and related clearances are given on the recommendations of the forest department of the Delhi government and specific recommendation of the minister concerned.

“Facts speak for themselves. All permissions were earlier granted by forest department of Delhi government on recommendation of environment minister Imran Hussain,” Puri tweeted.