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Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Delhi LG exempts 8.9-hectare site from tree curbs for GPRA
Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena has granted a special area exemption under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994, allowing a tree officer to take a decision on 856 trees that may fall in the way of a General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) at Kasturba Nagar Phase-II over an area of 8.9 hectares, according to a gazette notification. Delhi LG VK Saxena. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO) The exemption, granted under Section 29 of the Act in 'public interest', formally allows the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to seek permission on from the tree officer. To be sure, tree officers can only take a decision on an area of one hectare, in usual circumstances. The exemption, issued via a gazette notification on June 13 but made public on Sunday, read: '… in public interest, (the LG) exempts an area of 8.90 hectares… from the limitation of maximum one hectare area under sub-section (3) of Section 9 of the said Act for construction of General Pool Residential Accommodation at Kasturba Nagar Phase-II, New Delhi under Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994.' This is the fourth instance that the provision has been invoked in recent weeks. Last week, it was applied to a 115.88-hectare construction site for the redevelopment of the New Delhi Railway Station. Prior to that, it was applied to two other sites, pertaining to Common Central Secretariat buildings and a flyover in northeast Delhi. While the exemption clears a key procedural hurdle, it does not constitute approval for cutting or transplanting any trees. It merely enables the designated tree officer to examine an application, which had previously been ineligible for consideration because of the site's size. 'This notification... shall not be considered as permission for transplantation/felling of trees,' the Act states. Upon receiving an application, the tree officer—the deputy conservator of forest (south division) in this case—will independently scrutinise the application, comprising due diligence under the DPTA, the Delhi Preservation of Trees Rules, 1996, and compliance with any court directions. 'The tree officer must apply due diligence and aim to minimise the number of trees affected by the project,' the gazette reads. Section 29 of the DPTA gives power to the government to provide exemption, citing public interest. Section 9(3), meanwhile, allows a tree officer to only consider up to one hectare in area for a project. The exemption essentially allows an area of more than one hectare to be considered by a tree officer. The Kasturba Nagar GPRA project is part of the Centre's plan to redevelop seven GPRA colonies across south Delhi. Of these, three are being handled by NBCC, while CPWD is in charge of four—two of them, Mohammadpur and Thyagraj Nagar, have already been completed. The remaining two—Kasturba Nagar and Srinivaspuri—are under construction. HT reported last month how the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) had, for the second time, rejected the revised proposal for the project after raising concerns over inadequate planning, inefficient land use and poor compliance with its earlier observations. Under Phase 2 of the Kasturba Nagar project, plans are afoot to create over 3,500 housing units in total, an anganwadi, convenience shops, a coaching centre, a banquet hall, a podium and a residential complex comprising 25 towers. In a notification published on June 17, the LG issued an exemption to a 115.88-hectare site for the redevelopment of the New Delhi Railway Station, with 887 trees falling in its way. On June 6, Saxena issued a similar exemption for a 5.037-hectare site at the Common Central Secretariat project, involving 476 trees. A day earlier, he cleared a 2.16-hectare stretch for a flyover at the Nand Nagri–Gagan Cinema junction, where 27 trees are affected. Opposition parties, however, criticised the move. Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav called the decision an 'environmental disaster'. 'This is a double blow to both the environment and social justice. The soul of Delhi resides in its slums, and its breath comes from its trees, and if both are destroyed, Delhi will face an existential crisis,' Yadav said. The BJP did not respond to a request for comment.
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
LG allows leeway for Kasturba Nagar redevelopment; 856 trees to be affected
New Delhi: Lieutenant governor VK Saxena, through a gazette notification, granted an exemption under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994, to facilitate the construction of residential accommodation at Kasturba Nagar Phase-II over an area of 8.90 hectares. This could lead to the felling or transplantation of 856 trees. While a tree officer, under the provisions of the DPTA, can only consider an application for felling or transplantation of trees limited to a one-hectare area, the gazette exempts the entire section of the DPTA to overrule the area limitation clause. Though the notification is not permission to fell the trees, it grants the tree officer authority to consider if the required permission could be granted for the entire exempted area. This exemption, granted under Section 29 of the DPTA, allows CPWD to seek permission from a tree officer in the Delhi forest department to fell or transplant 856 trees. The move was criticised by Delhi Congress on Sunday. The gazette notification was issued on June 13 but made public on Sunday. It stated that it invokes Section 29 of the DPTA to bypass the area restriction in "public interest." "… in public interest, (the LG) exempts an area of 8.90 hectares… from the limitation of maximum one-hectare area under sub-section (3) of Section 9 of the said Act for the construction of General Pool Residential accommodation," the notification says. This provision has been utilised a few times recently, including for the New Delhi Railway station redevelopment (115.88 hect), Common Central Secretariat buildings, and a northeast Delhi flyover. The exemption allows the tree officer to review the previously ineligible application. With required exemption, the deputy conservator of forest (south division), acting as the tree officer, will evaluate the application according to DPTA guidelines, Delhi Preservation of Trees Rules, 1996, and relevant court directives. The gazette mandates that the tree officer must exercise careful consideration to minimise tree impact. Attacking BJP, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said, "This is a double blow to both the environment and social justice."
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Land exemption given for tree felling for railway station work
Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has granted a special exemption under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994, to facilitate redevelopment of the New Delhi Railway Station. The move allows the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) to seek formal permission to fell or transplant 887 trees spread across a 115.88-hectare site. The exemption, issued via a gazette notification on June 5 but made public Tuesday, invokes Section 29 of the DPTA to bypass the area restriction in 'public interest.' '… in public interest, (the LG) exempts an area of 115.88 hectare… from the limitation of maximum one hectare area under sub-section (3) of Section 9 of the said Act for re-development of New Delhi Railway Station, Delhi under Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994,' the notification read. This provision has now been invoked thrice in recent weeks — previously for the Common Central Secretariat buildings and a flyover in northeast Delhi. To be sure, while the exemption clears a key procedural hurdle, it does not constitute approval for cutting or transplanting any trees. It merely enables the designated Tree Officer to examine the RLDA's application, which had previously been ineligible for consideration because of the site's size. 'This notification... shall not be considered as permission for transplantation/felling of trees,' the Act states. For the next step, the Tree Officer, in this case the deputy conservator of forest (central division), will independently scrutinise the application. This will involve due diligence under the DPTA, the Delhi Preservation of Trees Rules, 1996, and compliance with any court directions. The Tree Officer must apply due diligence and aim to minimise the number of trees affected by the project. Redevelopment of the New Delhi Railway Station has been in the pipeline since 2021. Initially pegged at ₹15,000 crore, the project has since been scaled down to ₹2,469 crore to enhance feasibility. Plans include construction of two linear station buildings on the Paharganj and Ajmeri Gate sides, an air-concourse, waiting areas, lifts, escalators, retail and office spaces. The station will function as an integrated Multi Modal Transit Hub. Connectivity is a key component: a network of elevated and at-grade roads is proposed to ease congestion. While the original plan had seven flyovers, revisions are underway, though a web of elevated roads will still link the site with other parts of the city, said an RLDA official. The June 5 exemption is part of a series of recent moves by the LG to fast-track large infrastructure projects that fall afoul of the DPTA's area limit. On June 6, Saxena issued a similar exemption for a 5.037-hectare site at the Common Central Secretariat project, involving 476 trees. A day earlier, he cleared a 2.16-hectare stretch for a flyover at the Nand Nagri–Gagan Cinema junction, where 27 trees are affected. A retired Indian Forest Service officer familiar with such cases said the exemption is a procedural mechanism, often used to allow legal processing of large-scale development applications. 'Without the exemption, the Tree Officer would not be able to even consider such cases. It doesn't mean permission is granted, just that the file can now be taken up,' the official said, adding that such provisions have been used in past projects as well.
New Indian Express
07-06-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Delhi government issues SOP for emergency pruning of trees and maintenance
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government's Environment Department has issued new guidelines under Section 33 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994, providing clarity on the enforcement of Section 8, which mandates prior permission from a Tree Officer before a tree can be felled, removed or disposed of. However, in cases of emergency where a tree poses an immediate threat to life, property, or traffic, exceptions will apply, allowing responsible agencies to act swiftly. The guidelines, aimed at enhancing safety and infrastructure, allow Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), land-owning agencies or any responsible entity to take immediate action without prior approval. However, they are required to report the action to the Tree Officer within 24 hours. The Department of Forest & Wildlife has also outlined specific situations where immediate tree removal or pruning may be necessary. These include instances where trees obstruct roads, bridges, drains, or sewer lines; threaten buildings or heritage structures; interfere with metro or railway infrastructure; or are dead, dried, or leaning dangerously, posing a risk of falling. In such cases, the concerned party must upload photographs from at least three different angles, geo-coordinates, and a justification for the action, along with post-action images, on the DPTA e-Forest portal. This process will allow Tree Officers to verify the action as compliant with the Act. Additionally, Tree Officers can independently take action if they observe similar threats during field inspections. Speaking on the matter, Delhi's Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, 'The Delhi government is committed to the safety and well-being of its people, while also preserving the city's green wealth.'
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Delhi govt defines ‘emergency' tree removal norms, issues SOP
Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Friday issued a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) under Section 8 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994 — formally defining what qualifies as an 'emergency' in which trees may be pruned or felled without prior permission, and laying out compliance requirements to prevent misuse. The move, Sirsa said, seeks to enable swift action in genuine cases of public risk while creating a transparent system. However, environmental groups warned that the provision has historically been misused to justify indiscriminate tree removal under vague pretexts. To be sure, Section 8 of the DPTA mandates no tree shall be felled, removed, or disposed of without prior permission from the Tree Officer. However, it provides an exception for emergency cases – where a tree poses immediate danger to life, property, or such situations, residents' welfare associations (RWAs), land-owning agencies, individuals or civic agencies may act without prior approval, provided they report the action to the tree officer within 24 hours. Sirsa on Friday said the government had defined the 'exceptions', where immediate pruning or removal of tree may be warranted. 'For the first time, we have laid out clear parameters for what qualifies as an emergency — such as trees obstructing roads, bridges, drains, or sewer lines; damaging buildings or heritage structures; interfering with Metro or railway infrastructure; or those that are dead, dried, or leaning dangerously,' Sirsa said. In such circumstances, Sirsa said the agency concerned, RWA or individual may take immediate remedial action but must furnish evidence without delay. 'This must be reported within 24 hours by uploading photographs from at least three different angles, geo-coordinates, a written justification for the action, and post-action images on the DPTA e-Forest portal,' the minister said. He added that tree officers will treat such submissions as valid compliance under the law. 'They are also empowered to initiate action on their own if similar threats are observed during inspections or field visits.' While Section 8 is not new to the DPTA, this is the first time the government has formally codified its application through an SOP. Sirsa emphasised that the objective is to strike a balance between public safety and environmental responsibility. 'We are committed to protecting both — our people and our trees. These SOPs ensure that urgent action is not delayed in genuine emergencies, while creating a transparent and accountable system to prevent misuse. Any violation or attempt to exploit these provisions will invite strict legal consequences,' he said. Environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari said that while the SOP may seem balanced on paper, Section 8 has long served as a loophole for indiscriminate pruning and felling. 'We've seen overhanging branches conveniently labelled as hazards. Once again, the emphasis is on removal rather than revival,' she said, urging the government to invest instead in tree ambulances and better care. 'Most trees in the city remain concretised and are still choking,' she added.
