The Delhi State-level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) has observed that the CPWD’s proposal to construct an executive enclave as part of the Central Vista redevelopment plan will remove an “excessively high proportion” of trees.
The executive enclave will house new Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Cabinet Secretariat, India House and National Security Council Secretariat. The minutes of the SEAC meeting dated January 31 stated that the total project cost is Rs 1,381 crore.
The SEAC has asked the CPWD, the nodal body of the Central Vista redevelopment project, to revise its plans to enhance the “requisite number of tree plantations”.
According to the minutes of the meeting, the plan has also asked the CPWD to furnish a complete plan for transplantation of trees with detail of the proposal for the survival of transplanted trees along with the layout indicating the location of trees with reasons/justification for transplanting the trees within the project sites.
The minutes of the meeting said the panel has sought revised plan for environment clearance and additional information from the CPWD. The CPWD informed the panel of SEAC that 784 trees are present at the site and out of which 154 are proposed to be retained and 630 trees are proposed to be transplanted.
Noting that around 80 percent of the existing trees are proposed to be removed, the SEAC panel said it is an “excessively high proportion”. SEAC asked the CPWD to furnish details regarding “an existing tree inventory with species and girth of each tree may be prepared, along with a baseline gees area map, showing all trees – – (a) trees to be retained, (b) trees to be removed due to building ground coverage, (c) and trees to be removed due to additional paved area. The attempt may be made to increase the trees to be retained”.