Green Tape: Tree-Cutting Nod Holds Up Major Infra Projects
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The affected works include the Barapullah elevated corridor Phase III, the sports university at Ghevra village, Nand Nagri flyover, Okhla campus of GB Pant Engineering College and Polytechnic, hospital at Raghubir Nagar and a double-decker viaduct at Bhajanpura.
The Barapullah Phase III has been marred by persistent setbacks since construction began in 2015 and of which 690 metres remain to be built between Sarai Kale Khan and Mayur Vihar.
Initially estimated at Rs 964 crore, the project's cost has now escalated to Rs 1,330 crore. At a recent PWD meeting, it was revealed that the forest department had forwarded the permission application to the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which works under the Supreme Court, and CEC had directed the site to be re-surveyed in the presence of officials from the forest department and details like the trees' geo-locations, species and girth at breast height submitted.
The re-survey has revised details of 333 trees within the alignment of the corridor.
The Nand Nagri flyover, meant to be a link between UP's Ghaziabad and Wazirabad in Delhi via Signature Bridge, is only 70% done when it should have been completed by July last year. The latest development is that the flyover has received a special area exemption under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, enabling a tree officer to make the final decision on the felling or transplantation of trees falling in the project site.
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The meeting also discussed the sports university to be built on 79 acres in Ghevra village. A tree survey conducted by the consultant found that 3,212 trees of the around 9,000 trees on the plot need to be chopped down and 88 transplanted. The meeting record says, "PWD is requested to ask the sports university official to provide land for compensatory plantation. Forest department and environment department clearance awaited.
" Sources confided that the project could be put on the back burner.
The GB Pant Engineering College and Polytechnic Okhla Campus is also delayed due to the required revalidation of tree-cutting permission plus lack of funds. Trees have also hit the setting up of a semi-permanent or temporary ICU hospital at Raghubir Nagar. Only 50% of the project has been finished.
The double-decker viaduct on the Maujpur-Majlis Park metro corridor, a joint venture between PWD and DMRC, is almost ready. However, the ramp connecting the road with the flyover is yet to be built for lack of permission to chop down trees.
Delhi govt recently notified new SOPs for tree felling and transplantation under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act. Unlike earlier, it is now mandatory for CEC to review all requests for felling 50 or more trees.
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