AIIMS had applied for environmental clearance in May this year. (File)While granting environmental clearance for a project that involves ‘redevelopment’ of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) flagged the proposal as one that made no attempt to make any “major change” that would have led to the preservation of trees on the site.
The observations that the SEIAA made with regard to the AIIMS project proposal were similar to those it made while considering the matter of environmental clearance for the Central Vista Executive Enclave project on Wednesday.
Of around 5,575 trees present at the AIIMS project site, 1,910 trees are to be transplanted and 731 will be cut. The remaining 2,934 trees will be retained at the site. The SEIAA noted that the project will lead to the removal of 47% of trees on site. Like it stated in the case of the Executive Enclave, the SEIAA observed that the “SEAC (State Expert Appraisal Committee)/SEIAA tried to get PP (project proponent) to reduce felling of trees but only a few could be saved.”
The AIIMS project proposal was granted environmental clearance on Thursday.
When the proposal was presented to the SEAC in June, the committee had noted that 68.8% or 4,125 out of the 5,995 trees on site were being removed either by felling or transplantation, which was a very high percentage. It had asked AIIMS to review the project master plan so that at least 50% of the trees are retained on site. AIIMS then revised the number of trees present at the site to 5,575 and said that 2,641 trees would be removed from the site.
While granting environmental clearance, the SEIAA said the site tree survey and tree report, which were required to be carried out at the time of project feasibility assessment and site identification as per the Tree Transplantation Policy, were not undertaken at the “appropriate time, prior to the tendering for the design of the project”.
AIIMS had applied for environmental clearance in May this year.
The project involves redevelopment of the existing East Ansari Nagar campus, where around 3,000 new beds are likely to be added to the existing 2,412 beds. Existing buildings will be demolished and rebuilt at the East Ansari Nagar campus. Additionally, on around 30 acres at the Masjid Moth campus, which has an existing outpatient department, another outpatient department is proposed. The third component of the project is a Trauma Centre Extension Area near the existing Trauma Centre. Accommodation for support staff, a students’ hostel and convenience centre are likely to come up here.