Delhi: ‘Over 47,000 saplings to be planted, 3,200 done so far’

A total of 3,126 trees have been felled for three projects, but compensatory planting has only taken place at one site — 3,195 saplings instead of the target of 8,165 at the Kidwai Nagar project site. (Amit Mehra/Representational image)

Only 3,195 of the 47,715 saplings that had to be planted as compensation for 3,126 trees felled by NBCC for the redevelopment of three colonies in Delhi are in place, the Delhi Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said on Friday. The PAC, along with officers of Delhi Forest Department, NBCC and central government’s MoUD, inspected three project sites for redevelopment of colonies at Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar and Kidwai Nagar in south Delhi.

It also found that “NBCC was obligated to provide land for compensatory plantation, however… (this) has not yet been handed over by the DDA to the Delhi Forest Department”. It added, “This was the duty of NBCC to ensure that the land was handed over to the Delhi Forest Department and compensatory plantation was completed before felling of even a single tree,” as per NGT orders.

A total of 3,126 trees have been felled for three projects, but compensatory planting has only taken place at one site — 3,195 saplings instead of the target of 8,165 at the Kidwai Nagar project site. Construction here has been going on for four years and 1,600 trees have been felled by the NBCC. At the Nauroji Nagar site, the PAC observed that for the 1,302 trees that have been felled, no “compensatory plantation has been done”. At Netaji Nagar, while 224 trees have been felled, “the NBCC was obligated to plant 24,900 trees before cutting any tree.”