Over 650 trees to be felled, transplanted for redevelopment of govt residential colony in city

The Delhi forest department has given permission to fell 32 trees and transplant another 632 for the redevelopment of a government residential colony at Kasturba Nagar in South Delhi.

The 32 trees to be felled include 13 dry trees.

The forest department has asked the user agency, Central Public Works Department (CPWD), to deposit Rs 3.71 crore for creation and maintenance of compensatory plantation for a period of seven years.

A total of 6,510 saplings of Neem, Amaltas, Peepal, Pilkhan, Gular, Bargad, Desi Kikkar and Arjun will be planted as compensatory plantation at Utsav Marg in Rohini.

The forest department has asked the CPWD to submit a detailed plan for site preparation and plantation before initiating tree felling and transplantation.

The transplantation of trees has to be initiated immediately after permission is issued and should be completed in three months, after which a completion report has to be submitted to the tree officer.

The user agency has been asked to adhere to all conditions mentioned in Tree Transplantation Policy 2020 scrupulously.

According to the policy notified in December last year, agencies concerned have to transplant a minimum of 80 percent of the trees affected by their development works.

Ten saplings are required to be planted for each tree transplanted or felled and the Department of Forests and Wildlife has to keep a detailed and up-to-date record of applications approved for tree felling under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994 on its website.

In projects involving transplantation of 100 or more trees, a social audit is to be carried out at the end of one year of tree transplantation to establish the survival rate and the completion certificate has to be jointly signed by the tree officer concerned.

The benchmark tree survival rate at the end of one year of tree transplantation is 80 per cent.

Check out DH's latest videos