City authorities in the national capital are preparing for a redevelopment project. While that seems harmless enough, it comes at a huge cost for seven neighbourhoods in South Delhi - 16,500 trees to be precise.
Yes, the municipal authorities will be axing 16,500 trees to make way for government accommodations in Delhi, a city where air pollution remains unchecked while the risk of lung cancer looms large on its residents.
It can be noted that the region of South Delhi where the trees will be chopped is considered to be a prime green belt of the city.
The seven neighbourhoods affected by this development are Sarojini Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Kasturba Nagar, RK Puram Thyagaraja Nagar and Mohammadpur. Forest department guidelines state that the agency which is axing trees has to plant 10 saplings at an alternative site for every tree axed.
Talking to Hindustan Times, Padmavati Dwivedi, an activist, said the full-grown trees can't be replaced by planting saplings at far off places since the void left by these trees will be near impossible to fill.
"If I am living in a particular area and the trees there are cut, how will planting saplings in another part help? These saplings will take years to provide the benefit that full-grown trees were giving," Dwivedi told Hindustan Times.
Anoop Kumar Mittal, chairperson, NBCC, the agency tasked with building the upcoming complexes, said trees will be planted in the area and there will be a lot of lush green spaces around.
"We have developed the New Moti Bagh complex, which is among one of the green spaces in the city. Similarly, in Kidwai Nagar, where we have almost completed the project, we have planted over 10 times of what had to be cut," Mittal said.
According to environment lawyer Aditya Prasad, the forest department has the power to reject the proposal if it wants.
"Delhi is governed by the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act and if they want they can reject the proposal. Compensatory afforestation is not a guarantee as there is no agency that is checking if the required number of trees is being planted or where they are being planted," Prasad said while speaking to Hindustan Times.
