Govt grants permission to transplant & cut over 6.6K trees for NHAI proj

New Delhi: The Delhi government has granted permission to transplant and cut more than 6,600 trees in the capital for the construction of Urban Extension Road (UER)-II in five packages.

According to a notification issued by the Environment Department on Monday, 4,365 trees will be transplanted, and 2,314 cut for the project by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

The project at its completion will intersect three highways across the northwest-south periphery of the national capital.

The five stretches covered under the project are NH-I intersection to Karala-Kanjhawala road; Karala-Kanjhawala road to Nangloi-Najafgarh road; Nangloi-Najafgarh Road to Sector-24, Dwarka; Spur to Sonipat bypass, and Spur to Bahadurgarh bypass.

The Delhi government has earmarked an area of 36.45 hectares for the construction of (UER)-II in five packages.

The NHAI has been asked to make an advance deposit of Rs 38.07 crore as a security deposit to the Deputy Conservator of Forests (West) for carrying out compensatory plantation and maintaining it for seven years.

The NHAI has been directed to plant 66,790 saplings of Neem, Amaltas, Peepal, Pilkhan, Gular, Bargad, Sheesham, Arjun, and other native species at Aravali Biodiversity Park, Tughlakabad Biodiversity Park, West Delhi Biodiversity Park, Northern Ridge Biodiversity Park, and the Yamuna floodplains.

The transplantation of 4,365 trees will be done by NHAI "within the project site at vacant area UER-II (Package-I to V) along the road proposed to be constructed with their own funds'', the notification read.