Hindustan Times: New Delhi: Wednesday, March 13, 2013.
The Delhi
forest department has said it does not know the quantum of non-forest land
required for compensatory afforestation in lieu of trees to be felled for the
third phase of the Metro rail project.
Work for the third phase of the Metro started in November 2011.
The forest
department, in response to a right to information (RTI) application filed by
HT, also says it does not have information on the quantum of land that has
already been made available to it. When asked to provide reasons for delays in
transfer of land, the department has given the same answer.
In a letter
dated December 24, which was also marked to the forest department, union urban
development minister Kamal Nath had clearly mentioned to the Delhi government
that 40,000 hectares of land was needed for compensatory plantation.
"Of the
seventy hectares of land provided by the Delhi Development Authority, only 17
hectares is suitable for plantation… Ownership issues also exist," the
minister's letter further reads. In case of Metro expansion, according to the
Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994, the Centre has to provide non-forest
land to the Delhi forest department for compensatory plantation. The Delhi
Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which has already finished 15 per cent of its
phase III work, has to fund the plantation and maintenance of trees to make up
for the loss of green cover.
This is not
all. The forest department's replies put the total number of trees that need to
be cut for the entire third phase of the Delhi Metro rail project at a mere
4,231, while the same letter of Kamal Nath acknowledges that 8,001 trees need
to be felled for the project.
The RTI
replies claim permission to fell 2,200 trees in two cases has been granted,
while the same is under process in four cases. The forest department has gone
on to say it does not have information on the number of trees cut so far for
the project.
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