'Nearly 45K trees cut for Metro network since Ph-I, Rs 1.4 cr paid in fines'
New Delhi: Ever since it began construction of its Phase 1 corridors in 1998, to now with Phase 4 operations awaiting completion, the Delhi Metro has had to axe close to 45,000 trees in order to achieve its goal of interconnecting Delhi-NCR's far-flung areas through the country's largest urban mass rapid transit system, an RTI response from the DMRC said.
All the while, DMRC has also paid fines worth Rs 1.47 crore under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994, till now to the Delhi Forest Department for carrying out illegal cutting and damaging of trees during construction work, the response to an RTI filed Millennium Post showed.
For felling a tree, one has to pay a fine through a security deposit followed by the actual money for cutting the tree while money is also collected for plantation and taking care of saplings for five years.
Delhi Metro claims that along with the Forest Department, it carries out a transplantation drive of the same number of trees that have been deforested while compensatory plantation of 10 trees is also done. Fines vary as per tree type with it being as low as Rs 10,000 to Rs 60,000.
As per data, 13,858 trees were felled during Phase 1 construction work with the Forest Department permitting 14,505 trees for deforestation. Similarly, 17,997 trees were cut during Phase 2 work in comparison to 24,453 that were permitted to be felled. In Phase 3,11,872 trees were cut in comparison to the 17,349 permitted to be cut while 941 trees have been deforested till now in Phase 4 construction work while 1,468 trees have been permitted to be sacrificed.
However, environmental experts have raised alarm and claimed that the tree transplantation is nothing but a "mere eyewash" which permanently damages various types of trees while further depleting the little forest cover that the capital still boasts of.
Environmentalist Praveen Tongad claimed that the success rate of transplantation is supposed to be very low, nothing in comparison to the original plant. "Delhi's green cover is anyway under danger which is mostly due to illegal cutting of trees...the authorities think it's cheaper to pay the fine rather than run from pillar to post seeking approval," he told Millennium Post.
He further said even when only a small land area was under forest cover, development projects mostly carry out construction in those areas when open land is already available for that purpose.
"The forest department should ensure that the alignment is changed in order to let go of cutting the trees," he opined. "Some trees like Neem, Banyan and Ashok cannot be easily transplanted but authorities transplant them too which is futile," he added.
Meanwhile, a lawyer, involved in environmental litigation, requesting anonymity, claimed that the current fine paid by DMRC might only be the tip of the iceberg, insisting that there will be several penalties that are yet to be recovered for illegal tree cutting.
"Most of these projects get approval and then it doesn't matter if any trees are cut… there are no forest officials to monitor as there is no manpower. It's only when someone lodges a complaint that the issue comes to fore," he said.
Noted environmentalist, Professor C R Babu, suggests that in areas with dense forest cover, DMRC should take its corridors underground, similar to what it does for heritage buildings so that deforestation is minimised.
"One has to be careful while transplanting trees as 50-year-old trees can't be transplanted and only young trees which are 5 to 10 years old can be saved through this method," he said.
"During the planning of the alignments of our corridors, all efforts are made to minimise the number of trees to be cut…DMRC regularly organises plantation drives in its stations and other premises to increase the city's green cover," the DMRC said, adding that transplantation is undertaken under expert supervision.
