Delhi government asks civic bodies to earmark green cover at construction sites
NEW DELHI: The state forest department flagging the issue of large-scale “unnecessary” felling of trees amidst construction projects told the civic bodies to ensure that the building plans sanctioned have all existing trees, located in the construction zone as well as in the set-back area of the plot, be duly marked in the plan itself, said officials.
The department’s south division in an order issued earlier this month raised the issue with the three municipal corporations — South, North and East as well as the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) —the agencies that sanction site plans for construction purposes in the city.
“Large-scale unnecessary felling of trees located in the set-back area of plots plans has been observed. Not marking these trees while making the site plan as well as those located outside the plot on public land due to multiple gates/entrances is in violation of the Unified Building Bye-laws, 2016 (UBBL),” said the order.
According to forest officials, marking of all these trees in the building plan is mandatory under the building bye-laws, but the clause is being overlooked grossly. “This allows owners and construction agencies to play in the grey area and has been resulting in a number of these trees that provide shade and act as filters against pollution as well as are part of the city’s green cover being felled without being on record,” said a senior official.
The official added that while there have been complaints from citizens about the same, the felling has been observed by the department as well. The order also cited that often in complete disregard to the existing trees located outside the plot on the public road, the sanctioning authorities approve site plans with multiple gates.
“For instance, in most cases, the entire boundary wall has multiple gates, so existing tree outside the plot becomes an obstruction to ingress/egress. In almost all cases, multiple gates are approved in the building plans. This is consuming the green cover of the city and therefore, while approving the site plan, such designs of gates should be allowed that have minimum impact on the existing trees,” it said.