NBCC to ‘Compensate’ Delhi’s Green Cover with 2 Lakh Trees

Amid a row over felling of around 14,000 trees in Delhi, the state-owned NBCC on 25 June defended its decision.

Delhi’s citizens had taken out back-to-back protests on consecutive days following the controversial decision.

(Photo: Shorbori Purkayastha/The Quint)

Amid a major hue and cry over felling of around 14,000 trees for redevelopment of Delhi’s residential colonies, the state-owned NBCC on 25 June defended its decision, saying it would compensate the move by increasing the green cover 15 times.

The government has announced that it would be cutting over 14,000 trees for building over 25,000 flats for government employees in seven colonies of south Delhi.

NBCC, which is developing three of the seven colonies, sought to assuage concerns saying green cover in these residential localities will go up to 50-55 percent from average of 14 percent at present.

Underscoring the need for redevelopment, NBCC CMD Anoop Kumar Mittal at a press conference said that several decades old colonies had hundreds of "unserviceable and unlivable units out of a total of 12,970 flats as of now and the same would be transformed into the most modern colonies with 25,667 units having an extensive green cover, sewage treatment plants, organised parking and other amenities.”

He said in a bid to protect the environment, NBCC would be planting not only saplings but also 10-foot-long trees whose care would be properly taken as long as required.

The colonies, Mittal said, had become unlivable and so need to be redeveloped at a cost of around Rs 30,000 crore. The projects are self-funded.

Around 13,000 trees were remaining to be cut in seven redevelopment projects in the national capital and 2 lakh trees will be planted, Mittal said when asked about reports of 16,000-17,000 trees to be felled for these projects.

NBCC has already got permission from the Delhi government and other authorities to fell 3,748 trees in Naurojit Nagar and Netaji Nagar, where 10,000 trees will be planted apart from paying for green coverage, he said.

“Need to Develop Delhi Not For 1-2 But For 100-200 Yrs”: NBCC CMD

Asked if the matter has been politicised, Anoop Kumar Mittal said, "It has not been politicised. People are now environment sensitive. We have to develop Delhi not for 1-2 years but for 100-200 years."

"We have taken permission from the state government to cut trees and not from the union environment ministry," he added.

Stating that the locations for planting of two lakh trees is being identified, the NBCC chief said 1.5 lakh trees will be planted as per the government rule and another 50,000 trees voluntarily by NBCC and CPWD.

Under the proposed redevelopment project in seven colonies, NBCC and CPWD will develop 25,667 government flats which will have 70,000 underground car parking.

A major protest broke out against the decision, with locals and activists launching their own “Chipko Movement.”

NBCC agreed with the Delhi High Court order to not cut trees till 4 July on Monday.

Nod to Fell Trees Granted on Environment Minister's Advice: L-G Office

On 23 June, AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged the lieutenant governor was the "competent authority" for issuing the permission.

However, in a statement, Baijal's office said an impression is being created in sections of media that the permission for felling the trees was granted by the L-G directly despite objections from Delhi Environment minister Imran Hussain.

The statement clarified that the proposals for cutting trees (in case the area is more than one hectare) during the redevelopment were put up to the L-G only on the basis of the recommendations of the minister.

(The story has been edited for length.)