India News | Central Vista: CPWD Revises Proposal to Save 40% of Trees at New Executive Enclave Site
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Central Public Works Department has submitted a revised proposal for the construction of an 'Executive Enclave' as part of the Central Vista redevelopment plan so that it can save 40 per cent of the trees at the site.
New Delhi, Apr 4 (PTI) The Central Public Works Department has submitted a revised proposal for the construction of an 'Executive Enclave' as part of the Central Vista redevelopment plan so that it can save 40 per cent of the trees at the site.
The Executive Enclave will house the new Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Cabinet Secretariat, India House and National Security Council Secretariat.
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In a meeting on January 31, the Delhi state-level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) had asked the CPWD to increase the number of trees to be retained at the site.
"About 80 per cent of existing trees are proposed to be removed. This is an excessively high number,” the SEAC had said.
Based on the SEAC's recommendations, the CPWD increased the number of trees to be retained at the site to 320 from 154, according to official documents.
Submitted on March 11 to the SEAC, the revised proposal for environmental clearance to the Rs 1,381-crore project mentioned that there are 807 trees at the site as compared to the earlier estimate of 784.
"The PP (project proponent) has informed that an attempt has been made to increase the number of trees to be retained at the site by modification in design," the minutes of the SEAC meeting read.
The CPWD also informed the panel that of the 487 trees to be transplanted, 90 will be transplanted on a plot in the vicinity.
The SEAC has also asked the CPWD to comply with the Union Environment Ministry guidelines mandating a tree on every 80 square metre of plot area.
"The number of trees therefore works out to 1,022," it said. The SEAC has now asked for a revised landscape plan with details of trees and unique numerical ID for each tree.
The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation's power corridor, envisages a new parliament building, a common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate, new office and residence of the prime minister, and a new vice-president enclave.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)