DMRC ‘saves’ 142 trees at project site

New Delhi: Construction of Vinod Nagar depot of the Delhi Metro was always in question as the site was located in a notified forest land. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was recently under the radar of the NGT (National Green Tribunal) for not complying with its order on extraction of groundwater without permission.

However, the DMRC claims that it has saved 142 trees at the project site. The DMRC had obtained permission to cut 1,519 trees, but only 1,377 trees were eventually cut. Earl-ier, the DMRC in its environmental impact assessment (EIA) report, 2011, estimated that around 20 per cent trees were likely to be saved. However after six years, only 10 per cent trees have been saved.

“Planted trees do exist in the project area. There are 1,416 trees in the project site. Not all of these are going to be cut. It is assumed that about 20 per cent of the trees will be saved. Thus, it is estimated that about 1,133 trees are likely to be cut during construction,” the DMRC’s EIA report had stated. As the EIA report can vary along the course of the project, changes were made during the construction, a DMRC official said. 

The report also mentioned that the construction of the said depot would be done on acquired government land. No private land was identified for acquisition for the proposed depot. 

The report had earlier stated that Sarvodaya School, located in the identified government land, was to be acquired for the project. However, the school was not taken over by the DMRC.

“Sarvodaya School, as mentioned in the query, has not been taken over or disturbed by the DMRC at all. In the area, the DMRC had obtained permission to cut down 1,519 trees. However, only 1,377 trees were eventually cut and 142 trees were relocated in the surrounding area,” said Anuj Dayal, executive director of corporate communications at DMRC.