Delhi Ridge Board clears café in Sanjay Van, MP Bhawan extension, defence infra project; likely to affect 224 trees

At Sanjay Van, notified as a Reserve Forest under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)has proposed creating a water trough, a tank and a café with bamboo structures, and thatch or palm leaves for the roof. DDA officials noted that no tree felling or transplantation would be required for this.

“As Sanjay Van is part of South-Central Ridge and notified as a reserved forest under Section 4 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, the DDA was advised to ensure that eco-friendly structures are developed to maintain the sanctity of the forest,” read the minutes of the RMB meeting.

The board also recommended the DDA’s proposal for conservation works on existing monuments at Sanjay Van for CEC approval. At Smriti Van in Vasant Kunj, the board approved a proposal to lay a sewer line to divert surplus sewage that currently flows directly into Machhali Talab.

For the defence establishment, the Centre sought 4.72 acres in the Morphological Ridge at Shankar Vihar to build a technology facility of the Defence Cyber Agency, a Naval Cyber Group, and a Disaster Recovery site of the Armed Forces Special Operations Division.

The Madhya Pradesh government’s plan to expand its state guest house at Vasant Kunj (Madhyanchal) was another significant matter. The Rs 37.45-crore extension would integrate utilities such as a sewage treatment plant (STP), heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), water treatment plant (WTP), firefighting systems, diesel generator sets, transformers, high-tension panels and heating pumps.

“The extension is designed to be a composite building, incorporating common utilities … ensuring a seamless connection between the two structures,” the proposal said. However, the expansion would require the removal or translocation of 215 trees.

The RMB recommended the project for CEC approval with conditions, including a detailed 1:1000 project map showing tree locations with geo-coordinates, mandatory approvals under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994, and a 5 per cent deposit of the project cost into the RMB fund, proportional to the ridge area.

The Board also approved, with a no-tree-felling condition, a Rs 450-crore project on Defence land in Delhi Cantonment for the construction of a Maritime Operation Centre and a Communication Centre. “Land will be utilised for construction of prestigious Naval Projects viz. Nausena Bhawan, Maritime Operation Centre & Communication Centre, etc,” the document noted.

In Timarpur, the horticulture wing of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sought permission to expand facilities at Balak Ram Hospital to ensure a smooth passage for emergency vehicles. “The hospital is already functioning and nine trees are standing in the passage that runs around the hospital building. These trees are a hindrance in the smooth passage of emergency vehicles,” the proposal stated.

The project site also falls within the Morphological Ridge and will require approvals under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994, and from the CEC. These decisions were taken in the RMB’s first meeting since April 30 last year.