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Delhi govt grants exemption for Kirari-Rithala drain project affecting 84 trees

The exemption has been granted under Section 29 of the Act in public interest, the notification stated.

2 min readNew DelhiJan 8, 2026 04:45 AM IST

Kirari-Rithala drain project, drain project, delhi drain project, Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, delhi news, India news, Indian express, current affairs

Delhi LG Vinai Kumar Saxena

The Delhi government has granted a special exemption under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994, to facilitate the construction of a trunk drain from Kirari to a supplementary drain near Rithala in northwest Delhi.

According to a notification issued on January 1, Lieutenant-Governor V K Saxena has exempted a 3.2-hectare area from the provision since it lays down that tree-related permissions can be considered only for projects covering up to one hectare at a time. With the project exceeding that limit, a special exemption was required.

However, the government has clarified that the exemption does not amount to permission to cut or transplant trees and such will be examined separately.

The exemption has been granted under Section 29 of the Act in public interest, the notification stated.

The proposal was submitted by the Delhi Development Authority’s Rohini Project Division-I, which sought permission for the transplantation or felling of 84 trees affected during Phase I of the drain construction. The application was examined by the Tree Officer of the North Forest Division.

The notification, a copy of which The Indian Express has seen, stated that the exemption was required as the Tree Officer can ordinarily process applications only up to one hectare under Section 9(3) of the Act. The order therefore exempts the larger project area “from the limitation of maximum one hectare area under sub-section (3) of Section 9 of the said Act”.

“This notification… shall not, in any case, be considered as permission for transplantation/felling of trees,” it also stated, adding that applications related to tree felling or transplantation will be examined separately and independently by the Tree Officer under existing laws, rules, guidelines and court orders, with directions to minimise the number of affected trees.

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The notification also included detailed geographical coordinates marking the boundaries of the exempted area between Kirari and Rithala.

The order was issued by Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Secretary (Environment and Forests), on the L-G’s direction.

Several such exemptions were also made last year. The Indian Express had reported that an exemption was granted to a government housing project at Kasturba Nagar Phase-II, with the potential construction affecting felling or transplanting for 856 trees.

Sophiya Mathew

Sophiya Mathew is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She joined the Delhi bureau in 2024, and has specialization in Integrated Multimedia Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Professional Background Core Beats: Her reporting is primarily focused on the Environment and Education. Specialization: She has gained recognition for her ground-level reporting on the Yamuna floodplains and the socio-economic challenges faced by those living on its banks. She also focuses on the disparities in Delhi's education system, ranging from elite private schools to government institutions and refugee education. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent work has been heavily centered on Delhi's severe winter pollution crisis and the government's regulatory responses: 1. The Air Pollution Crisis "A tale of two cities: Delhi govt schools choke in bad air, private classrooms set up air filters" (Dec 20, 2025): A high-impact feature contrasting the "Clean Air Bubbles" in elite schools with the reality of government school students who are exposed to an equivalent of 17 cigarettes a day due to outdoor exposure. "Delhi sees season's worst air day, second worst December AQI in nearly a decade" (Dec 15, 2025): An analytical report on the meteorological patterns trapping pollutants in the NCR. "Delhi bans non-BS VI vehicles from outside: Why curbing vehicular pollution is key" (Dec 17, 2025): Explaining the science behind targeting specific vehicle vintages to lower particulate matter. 2. Enforcement & Regulations "No fuel at pumps in Delhi without valid PUC certificate from December 18" (Dec 17, 2025): Breaking the news on the environment ministry's strict "No PUC, No Fuel" policy. 3. Education Policy "Law to regulate school fee in Delhi risks becoming procedural, say parents" (Dec 13, 2025): Investigating the loopholes in the new Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025. "Monsoon Session: Private school fee regulation Bill cleared after four-hour debate" (Aug 9, 2025): Covering the legislative passage of the controversial fee hike regulation. Signature Style Sophiya is known for her observational depth. Her reporting often includes vivid details from school corridors, hospital waitlists, or the banks of the Yamuna to illustrate how policy failures affect the city's most vulnerable residents. She is a frequent expert guest on the 3 Things podcast, where she explains the complexities of Delhi’s environmental laws. X (Twitter): @SophiyaMathew1 ... Read More

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