8.9ha GPRA site exempted from tree felling restriction

WHILE IT CLEARS A KEY HURDLE, IT DOES NOT GRANT APPROVAL FOR CUTTING OR TRANSPLANTING ANY TREES

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

NEW DELHI: Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena has granted a special area exemption under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994, allowing a tree officer to take a decision on 856 trees that may fall in the way of a General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) at Kasturba Nagar Phase-II over an area of 8.9 hectares, according to a gazette notification.

The exemption, granted under Section 29 of the Act in "public interest", formally allows the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to seek permission from the tree officer. To be sure, tree officers can only take a decision on an area of one hectare, in usual circumstances.

The exemption, issued via a gazette notification on June 13 but made public on Sunday, read: ".In public interest, (the LG) exempts an area of 8.90 hectares from the limitation of maximum one hectare area under sub-section (3) of Section 9 of the said Act for construction of General Pool Residential Accommodation at Kasturba Nagar Phase-II, New Delhi under Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994."