At a meeting held in September, the SEAC had already recommended the project to the SEIAA for environmental clearance. (Representational image)The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) is likely to have to wait longer for environmental clearance for the construction of 184 multi-storey flats for Members of Parliament at Baba Kharak Singh Marg.
Considering the proposal for clearance at a meeting held last month, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has referred the matter back to the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) to “physically examine and document geo coordinates of tree transplantation and availability of area to transplant 222 numbers of trees”, according to the minutes of the SEIAA’s meeting.
At a meeting held in September, the SEAC had already recommended the project to the SEIAA for environmental clearance. The SEAC had recommended clearance based on certain conditions. This included a provision that said that out of the 372 trees at the site, 150 will be retained, and 222 will be transplanted. “Transplantation of 222 trees should be done preferably within the project site as far as possible and at a nearby site as a second option,” according to the conditions specified by the SEAC.
According to the proposal that was submitted for clearance, 243 flats exist at the site in 16 towers. These are to be demolished completely. The new buildings are expected to house 2,468 people. Clearance was sought for phase-I of the project, which will comprise 26,086 sq m out of a total site area of around 41,535 sq m.
The tender documents released by the CPWD show that the flats are likely to be in four blocks or residential towers, with each having two basements and 23 floors. An amenity block with five floors will also be part of the project.
The tender documents indicate that the project, including the civil, horticultural, electrical work, and operation and maintenance for 36 months from date of completion, is estimated to cost around Rs 557.88 crore.