The Asian Age: New Delhi: Friday, July 07, 2017.
Two days
after a few trees were stopped from being felled in South Delhi, an RTI query
has revealed that Delhi’s forest department has granted permission to cut over
1,700 trees for redeveloping Pragati Maidan.
The forest
officials said that this was the “barest minimum” they could do for the
redevelopment project, as not much land was available.
According to
the RTI reply, 1,713 trees have been identified for felling for the project and
that the forest department has already given permission under Delhi
Preservation of Trees Act, 1994.
The trees are
being cut to clear land for developing the planned “integrated
exhibition-cum-convention-centre” at the complex.
The Rs 2,254
crore redevelopment project was approved by the Centre in January this year.
Work has already started and several structures, such as the iconic Hall of
Nations have already been demolished.
Environment
activist Aditya N. Prasad, who had filed the RTI, said that no proper
inspection was conducted by the department to ascertain the number of trees
that are coming in the way or obstructing the project.
“They did not
even conduct an environment impact assessment,” he added.
This comes
just days after Delhi environment minister Imran Hussain stopped felling of 30
trees at Aurobindo Marg in South Delhi after residents and environment activists
objected to such a felling for a road-widening project.
A senior
forest official said that the department has already allotted land to Delhi
Development Authority (DDA) for compensatory plantation of over 17,000 trees.
According to the law, 10 saplings have to be planted for each tree cut.