Rework design to avoid axing of trees: mohua

NBCC, CPWD asked to replan redevelopment of the seven colonies; to plant 50k and 10 lakh trees, respectively Amid the ongoing protest by the public over the felling of over 16,500 trees in

Delhi, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA) declared that the authorities will re-work the design and plans for the remaining redevelopment of the seven GPRA colonies to avoid

felling/cutting of trees. The statement comes after days of protest by locals, activists and environmentalists in the national Capital. A forest conservation movement where people embraced

trees to prevent them from being cut in Uttarakhand (then Uttar Pradesh) in the 1970s- "Chipko Movement" was relaunched in the Capital in these localities. "The authorities

will be planting one million trees in the next three months. We will be inviting Citizens Groups to suggest locations for transplantation of trees," a stated from MOHUA stated. The

National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) have been asked to rework and redesign plans for the redevelopment of the seven colonies.  While

the NBCC will plant 25,000 trees, the other departments such as the CPWD, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will plant 50,000 and 10,00,000

and 20,000 trees, respectively during the monsoon season. The meeting which was chaired by Hardeep Singh Puri was attended by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and officers from NBCC, MOHUA,

DDA and CPWD. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), however, attacked the central government for not inviting Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Environment Minister Imran Hussain to the meeting.

"Facing embarrassment,Central Govt's @HardeepSPuri ji called a meeting to replan its NBCC redevelopment project of Delhi. Now who represented the people of Delhi in that decision

making ? @LtGovDelhi Later everyone will curse Kejriwal for their anti-Environment decision (sic)," AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj tweeted. The Delhi High Court on Monday questioned

the move of felling as many as 16,500 trees for the project. Taking note of the views expressed by the court which appeared inclined to order an interim stay of the tree chopping process,

the NBCC, tasked with redeveloping half a dozen south Delhi colonies, agreed not to cut any tree till July 4 when the case will come up again for hearing in the court. "How can

decisions about Delhi's Environment be taken by Central Govt without inviting Environment Minster of Delhi. Will LG take all decisions and BJP will put the blame on Ministers of Elected

Govt ? (sic)," he further tweeted. NBCC is redeveloping Sarojini Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, while the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is managing the rest four colonies

in Kasturba Nagar, Thyagraj Nagar, Srinivaspuri and Mohammadpur.