South Delhi housing project: NGT stays cutting of trees until further orders

In what has come as a major relief to citizens who have been protesting day and night against the unmindful cutting of trees in Delhi, the National Green Tribunal has put a stay on any further cutting of trees till further orders.

The NGT will hear the petitions on July 19. The Tribunal has issued notices to the Ministry of Urban Development, the Central Pollution Control Board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, COF, Delhi Police, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Development Authority, South Delhi Munipal Corporation, Central Public Works Department and NBCC (India) Ltd in the case.

The petitions filed by NGOs Chetna and Green Circle against cutting of 16,500 trees under the General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) project in South Delhi came up for hearing in the NGT court of Justice Jawad Rahim and others.

The petitions state that environmental clearance for the project has ignored the assessment of population density post-redevelopment and floating population density. It has not taken into account the vehicular traffic density post-redevelopment and the carrying capacity of all the roads around the redevelopment projects.

Also they say that the manifold increase in air pollution, leading to an unprecedented AQI, has not been addressed. The mega construction involves mining, stone crushing, transportation, batch mixing, curing, grinding, surface preparation, POP, spray and polishing, which would lead to increased PM 2.5 and PM 10 level.

The ecological imbalance caused by the cutting down of a large number trees in terms of oxygen yield, other benefits from trees and how the compensatory plantation of small saplings elsewhere in the ratio of 1:10 would compensate the benefits derived from the existing trees to be chopped, was asked in the petition.

Accuracy of data on the number of trees to be cut or chopped off was questioned in the petition because the numbers from different agencies differed, including the Environment Assessment Report and that given by the Department of Forests in the Delhi government.

They argue that transplantation of trees is not a valid option for cutting, as chances of survival are very poor and plantation in the ratio of 1:10 would not be feasible.

They question the need to redevelop a project area that was developed in the 1920s and has withstood the test of time, and also appealed to the Ministry of Urban Development to shift the project elsewhere.

“Questions regarding availability of water during construction of the project and potable water after construction, have not been addressed. Also, whether extra power required when the population in this area would increase manifold and whether more power would be required in high rises due to additional lifts and water pumps has not been answered in the multiple Right To Information applications filed with various agencies. On what basis, then, have the clearances been provided?,” questioned Anil Sood, a lawyer and a petitioner in the case.

The petitions asked the government authorities to place the study of the existing Air Quality Index and the assessed Air Quality Index after chopping of 16,575 trees and the impact thereof. It also asked Delhi's Department of Forest and DPCC to place on record the impact assessment on Ecologically Sensitive Areas around the proposed areas of redevelopment.

They asked for permissions given to CPWD and NBCC for supply of fresh water, establishment of a sewage treatment plant and drainage given by DPCC, NDMC, MoEF and Delhi Jal Board to be put on record.

“Many trees have already been chopped in the areas in the past. This is when the citizens movements had not gathered force. We have also appealed to NGT to pass orders for development of gardens, parks and parking lots or any other social welfare activities in those areas where the trees have already been chopped,” Sood said.

He added, “Though MuD Minister made a statement in the press that they are reviewing projects, no such statement has been made before the NGT, which means the Ministry is blowing hot and cold in the same breath. Sincerity is missing on the ground.”