Central Vista project: 487 trees to make way for new 'Executive Enclave'

The Central Public Works Department will transplant 487 trees for the construction of an 'Executive Enclave' as part of the Central Vista redevelopment plan, according to official documents.

The Executive Enclave will house the new Prime Minister's Office, Cabinet Secretariat, India House and the National Security Council Secretariat.

According to a revised proposal for environmental clearance to the Rs 1,381-crore project, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) recently informed the Delhi state-level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) that it would maintain 1,022 trees at the site, so as to have a tree per 80 square metre of plot area as per the guidelines of the Union environment ministry.

In a meeting held on April 9, the SEAC recommended to the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to grant environmental clearance to the project which would come up on a plot area of 81,808 square meters.

In a meeting on January 31, the 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 revised the proposal, increasing the number of trees to be retained at the site to 320 from 154.

According to the new proposal, there are 807 trees at the site as compared to the earlier estimate of 784.

The CPWD also informed the panel that of the 487 trees to be transplanted, 397 will be transplanted at Raj Ghat and 90 on a plot in the vicinity.

The project proponent will retain 320 trees and plant an additional 702 trees at the site to meet the criteria of a tree per 80 square metre of plot area, it told the SEAC.

The CPWD will do compensatory plantation of 4,870 trees at NTPC, Badarpur.

The redevelopment of the Central Vista, the nation's power corridor, envisages a new parliament building, common central secretariat, revamping of the 3-km Rajpath from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate, new office and residence of the prime minister, and a new vice president enclave.