Tree island on Mathura Road that posed risk to motorists removed

NEW DELHI: The forest department has finally removed the three trees from the middle of Mathura Road on the revamped Pragati Maidan stretch. The island of trees at Sundar Nagar not only slowed down traffic but also caused a few accidents.
The trees couldn't be removed when the road redevelopment was completed due to confusion over which agency had jurisdiction over them. On February 25, TOI had highlighted the risks posed to road users by the awkward, mid-road island of trees.
They could be finally removed after the forest department granted PWD permission to shift them. "The forest department allowed the removal of the trees on condition that they were transplanted somewhere and 10 more trees for each one were also planted. Accordingly, 30 trees must be planted apart from transplanting the original three," said a forest official.
A PWD official revealed that the three full grown trees were successfully shifted a few kilometres away. "We have transplanted the trees near Pragati Maidan Power Plant on Ring Road, near the entrance of the Pragati Maidan tunnel. The transplantation was successful and we are taking care of the trees to ensure that they survive. We have also planted 30 saplings as we were required to," said the official.
The island with its concrete sides was removed from the road on Friday night. "The tree island was creating an obstruction by taking up a part of the central lane, causing an impediment and a risk to traffic on what is supposed to be a no-signal traffic passage," an official added.
The road space couldn't be cleared earlier because of confusion over jurisdiction and legality of the tree removal. PWD and Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), which operates the Pragati Maidan trade expo complex, approached the forest department last December to have the three trees shifted last December but were denied permission.
Another application was sent to the forest department for reconsidering the permission to remove the trees, in which ITPO officials underlined how the location of the trees in the middle of a signal-free corridor posed a "fatal threat" to motorists and the traffic police too were concerned about the tree island.