NGT dismisses plea against felling of trees

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on April 4 dismissed a plea against the felling of trees for the construction of an international exhibition-cum-convention centre in Dwarka.

A Bench headed by judicial member Raghuvendra S. Rathore observed that the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Department of Environment of the State government had implemented the required conditions required for mitigating the “adverse impacts.”

‘New trees to be planted’

“The Department of Forest, National Capital Territory of Delhi had considered and examined the trees and had come to the conclusion that none of the trees marked to be cut are fit for transplantation,” the green panel Bench said.

“At the site situated in tree-deficient Dwarka, 17,098 trees will be planted by the project proponent to compensate for the trees that will be cut,” it added.

The plea had been filed by city resident Shobhit Chauhan who had sought for a “complete review” of the project and had alleged that the environmental clearance had been granted by the environment ministry without considering the consequences of felling large number of trees.