Govt housing project in Kasturba Nagar: Delhi L-G V K Saxena grants exemption to consider requests for cutting trees on nearly 9 hectares
According to the gazette notification dated June 13 and made public Sunday, the exemption has been given for 8.90 hectares of land where the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) plans to construct General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA). The project site falls under the jurisdiction of the South Forest Division.
Under Section 9(3) of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994, applications for felling or transplantation of trees are typically allowed only for areas of up to one hectare. However, since the GPRA project involves a much larger area, the tree officer of the South Forest Division had written to the government seeking special permission.
Acting on this request, L-G Saxena, using the powers available under Section 29 of the DPTA, approved the exemption for the full 8.90 hectares. The notification stated that the exemption is being granted 'in public interest' to facilitate the construction of government housing at the site.
However, the exemption does not mean permission to cut or transplant trees has been granted. The notification emphasised that this step is only meant to allow the tree officer to consider the application for such a large area legally.
The initial request to fell or transplant 856 trees within the project site is to be scrutinised independently and separately by the tree officer under DPTA 1994 provisions. As per the notification, the tree officer will consider the application independently under all applicable laws, rules, guidelines, and court directions. The officer must also 'minimise the number of affected trees to be transplanted/felled from within the exempted area' while reviewing the proposal.
The boundaries of the exempted 8.90 hectares of land have been marked in detail, and the geo-coordinates shared in the notification.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Started in response to tragic Rajinder Nagar incident, DDA to open 3 more 'Aarambh' libraries
New Delhi, A year after the tragic Rajinder Nagar coaching center tragedy that claimed the lives of three students, the Delhi Development Authority is turning grief into a transformative change one library at a time. Started in response to tragic Rajinder Nagar incident, DDA to open 3 more 'Aarambh' libraries After the incident Lt Governor VK Saxena had directed DDA to provide a conducive reading environment for the students of Delhi. "On July 28, LG VK Saxena is likely to inaugurate the third 'Aarambh' library in Dwarka Sector-16B. In addition to the library and reading room, the premises include 'Cafe Vardaan' and an open-air gym," a DDA official told PTI. Following the success of the pilot facility in Rajinder Nagar, the third Aarambh Library will offer a range of amenities, including modular tables with built-in pop-up power sockets, high-speed Wi-Fi, secure locker cabinets, dedicated display units, and racks for newspapers and magazines, the official added. The fully air-conditioned facilities also include separate restrooms for men and women, an accessible toilet, a cafeteria, an outdoor seating area, and an open-air gym, the official said. "Each Aarambh library accommodates around 60 students per shift, allowing a total of 180 students to use the facility daily across three 8-hour shifts,' the official said. According to the official, the access is priced at a nominal rate of ₹1,000 per user monthly at all the libraries. To ensure safety, the premises are monitored through CCTV and equipped with seamless Wi-Fi coverage. Earlier this month, a library was opened in South Delhi's Adchini, a popular student hub near premier institutions like JNU and IIT Delhi. The remaining two libraries in Vikaspuri and Rohini are scheduled to open within the next one to two months. "More than 90 per cent of the construction is complete at both locations. We expect to open them next month," the official added. The Vikaspuri library will provide much-needed reading spaces for students from west Delhi areas such as Tilak Nagar, Janakpuri, and Rajouri Garden. The Rohini library will serve students in and around the Rohini sub-city in North West Delhi, including Pitampura, Shalimar Bagh, Haider Pur and adjoining areas. The Aarambh initiative reflects a commitment to transforming underutilised community halls into modern, inclusive learning zones, offering Delhi's students a safe and affordable alternative to unsafe and overcrowded coaching centers. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Indian Express
Slapped with eviction notices, slum residents at R K Puram fear bulldozer action: ‘We have all IDs, still asked to vacate homes'
For the last seven days, women living in unauthorised slums located around the Type 1 quarters in R K Puram's Sector 7 have not gone to work, fearing bulldozers would raze their houses while they are out earning a livelihood. The reason: The deadline, set by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), to vacate their homes ended on Friday. On July 11, the CPWD had pasted notices on their doors stating that they should vacate the houses within seven days, else they would be forcibly evicted. The same notice was sent to the 'unauthorised' residents of the Type 1 quarters, too 'It is to be informed that the Type 1 quarters of Sector 7, R K Puram, which fall under the category of 'damaged quarters', are being unauthorisedly occupied by some persons, and illegal construction has been carried out. Information has been given verbally and in writing several times in the past, but to date, no action has been taken by the parties concerned. It is, therefore, a final warning given to all unauthorised occupants to vacate the respective quarters,' it stated. According to the CPWD, the quarters are dilapidated and can collapse anytime, harming the jhuggi jhopdis that have mushroomed around them. 'Even after multiple warnings, people continue to live in the quarters,' an official said. The official, however, denied that they planned to demolish the jhuggis and the quarters. 'We have just asked them to vacate the place… But nobody has left,' he added. Many slum dwellers, however, have started looking for accommodation elsewhere. 'We left the jhuggi and shifted to the quarters after the notice was issued. Since then, we have been looking for houses… If we don't find any, we will return to Bihar,' said a woman who did not wish to be named. 'They should have issued the notice during the school's summer break. If we change houses now, my daughter will lose out on her academic year,' she added. Mostly located at the centre of the quarters, the jhuggis are home to eight families, said residents. While some of these brick houses have only one room and a kitchen, some also have a hall. The others are double-storey houses with washrooms. All the slum dwellers, as well as those who live in the quarters, mostly hail from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. While they primarily work as construction labourers, some also work as domestic help in nearby homes. 'We were sleeping when the officers pasted the notices… We have all identity proofs — Aadhaar and ration cards, voter ID — still, we were made to leave our jhuggis. I was born here,' said a woman who lives in the slum. 'How can we afford Rs 12,000 as rent when we only earn Rs 15,000 per month? The prices have gone up since the landlords heard that we are looking for rented accommodations.' At the Type 1 quarters, an elderly woman said the contractor she works for had let her stay in one of the quarters. 'I've been staying here since I started working for him. This is a godown where he keeps cement bags,' she added. A few houses ahead, Ganesh (65), who has been staying in the slums with his family of six since 1982, has no idea what to do next. 'Where will I go in this monsoon? They say 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas' but it is 'sabka saath, sabka vinaash'… What happened to the promise of 'Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makan'?' In the run-up to the Delhi polls, 'Jahan Jhuggi, Wahan Makan' — building houses for slum dwellers at the original location — was a key poll promise of both the BJP and AAP.
Hindustan Times
14-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Delhi: 7,000 bamboo plants, rooftop gardening in 2025 civic greening plan
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) have launched their annual greening drive in which they will plant more than 7,000 bamboo plants and 3.9 million shrubs across the city. NDMC's drive this year also focuses on promoting rooftop gardening and adding more than 4,000 hanging flower baskets across Lutyens Delhi, officials said. LG VK Saxena and chief minister Rekha Gupta at a bamboo plantation drive at Okhla landfill site on June 6. (PTI) MCD standing committee chairperson Satya Sharma on Sunday said that a target of planting 703,298 saplings has been set for the year, which includes 300,000 trees, 400,000 shrubs, and 3,298 bamboo plants. 'Plantation has momentum during the monsoon season and will continue in a phased manner throughout the year,' she added. Sharma said that 66,242 saplings have already been planted across the 12 zones of Delhi. These include 21,493 trees, 41,918 shrubs, and 2,831 bamboo plants. NDMC on Sunday held a special tree plantation at Sardar Patel Marg under the nationwide initiative Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign under which lieutenant governor VK Saxena planted an amaltas (Cassia fistula) sapling . The civic body has set plantation targets of adding 3,000 trees, 3.5 million shrubs, and 3,946 bamboo plants. 'Bamboo plantations are a new addition to the greening drive and it will be used to fill the area between the plot boundaries and footpath,' she added. The bamboo plants will be planted at four selected locations—Akbar Road, Subramanium Bharti Marg, Krishna Menon Marg, and Mandir Marg. Two bamboo species, Golden and Budha Valley, will be planted along boundary walls to act as natural green screens and enhance biodiversity. NDMC vice-chairman Kuljeet Chahal said that the council will install 4,000 flower hanging baskets made from biodegradable coconut shells. Chahal said that this year's greening plan will promote rooftop gardening in the New Delhi area. 'A campaign will soon be launched to promote rooftop and organic gardening, encouraging citizens to contribute to New Delhi's green footprint from their homes. Our project to sell tulips was hugely successful and we will rope in experts to promote rooftop gardening by providing resources and training,' he said. The council also set up a 'Plant Protection Cell' at Lodhi Garden which is equipped to conduct tree surgeries, termite and pest control, and soil treatments, supported by a dedicated team of one supervisor and four staff members.
