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Time of India
02-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Nand Nagri Flyover Gets Green Signal
New Delhi: The construction of the Nand Nagri flyover, which extends from the Mandoli prison complex to Gagan Cinema on Mangal Pandey Marg, has overcome a significant obstacle. It has received a special area exemption under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), enabling a tree officer to make the final decision on the felling or transplantation of trees in the project's path. The flyover, which will serve as a crucial link between UP's Ghaziabad and Wazirabad in Delhi via Signature Bridge, is one of the 77 road interventions identified by govt a few years ago to reduce congestion in the city. Passing through the Gagan Cinema traffic signal, the aim of the flyover is to provide a signal-free route to people heading to Ghaziabad and those moving towards Seemapuri and other areas. "...for seeking permission under Delhi Preservation of Trees Act for transplantation, felling of 27 trees affected… in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 29 of DPTA, the LG, hereby, in public interest, exempts an area of 2.16 hectares, from the limitation of maximum one-hectare area for construction of flyover at Nand Nagri and Gagan Cinema junction of Mangal Pandey Marg, including elevated corridor," the notification stated. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi However, there are certain conditions that have been laid out. The notification for exemption shall not be considered as permission for transplantation or felling of trees but shall be scrutinised independently and separately by the tree officer (central forest division). The officer will consider all relevant court orders with due application of mind, minimising the number of affected trees to be transplanted or felled from within the exempted area, the notification stated. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it better to shower in the morning or at night? Here's what a microbiologist says CNA Read More Undo Currently, work on the approach road in front of the prison complex is on while the pillars of the flyover have been erected. Officials said about 70% of the work is complete. As per the plan, the 1.5km-long flyover will comprise six lanes and six U-turns have been proposed to be built under it. The first will be constructed near Nand Nagari police station, followed by two back-to-back U-turns, which will be 500 metres ahead of the turn near the police station. Another set of back-to-back U-turns have been proposed near the Gagan Cinema bus stop, and another after the Gagan Cinema junction. To improve aesthetics in the area, PWD will carry out mural work under the elevated corridor. The two existing traffic junctions under the proposed flyover will also be improved. Work on the footpath, drainage system, landscaping work, road signages and road safety fixtureswill be carried out too, said an official.
Hindustan Times
28-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Delhi may soon get its 3rd flyover with trees
The public works department (PWD) is preparing to open the Nand Nagari flyover to traffic by August—even as trees remain standing in the middle of its carriageway due to pending forest clearances. The 1.5km stretch, part of Delhi's ₹ 157.85 crore push to make Wazirabad Road signal-free, is nearly 85% complete, officials said. But delays in securing tree-felling permissions have left more than 60 trees rooted along the alignment, raising concerns about potential traffic hazards. Trees in the middle of the road on Nand Nagari flyover. (Vipin Kumar/Hindustan Times) If opened in its current state, the flyover will become the third in Delhi where vehicles are forced to navigate around standing trees. Earlier this year, the Anand Vihar and Punjabi Bagh flyovers were inaugurated with full-grown trees left under or even between traffic lanes, as the forest department's nod failed to arrive in time. The PWD is now taking a similar approach here—treating the removal of trees as a 'pending work' to be handled post-opening through a supplementary agreement. 'Opening the traffic flow is a priority as it will offer relief from congestion along the stretch,' said a senior PWD official, adding that the agency aims to make the flyover operational around Independence Day. A report dated June 21 said the core structure will be ready by July-end. However, it flagged multiple safety concerns, including sewer lines and manholes obstructing the retaining wall near the Nand Nagari depot, debris on service roads, and missing drain covers—each posing accident risks. 'Debris, silt and malba near the ramp must be removed immediately… Lighting should also be improved for safe traffic movement at night,' the report stated. The project, which began in February 2023, was originally slated for completion by July 2024. In addition to the elevated corridor, it includes road improvements, footpaths, upgraded drainage, and rainwater harvesting. The six-lane flyover starts from the Nand Nagri junction and ends near the Gagan Cinema T-junction, covering a 1,500-metre stretch of National Highway-9. It serves commuters travelling between North Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and connects densely populated colonies such as Dilshad Garden, Gonda, Mustafabad, and Karawal Nagar. Tree-related delays have proved to be a major stumbling block. While 63 trees are listed for felling or transplantation—36 on the e-Parivesh portal and 27 under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA)—approvals are still awaited. On June 4, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena invoked a special exemption under Section 29 of the DPTA to lift area restrictions and allow the application to be reviewed. However, final clearance from the forest department is still pending. Once operational, the corridor is expected to halve the current 30-minute travel time for those commuting to Bhopura via Signature Bridge. A foot overbridge on the stretch will be demolished and replaced with a subway for pedestrian access.
Indian Express
23-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Govt housing project in Kasturba Nagar: Delhi L-G V K Saxena grants exemption to consider requests for cutting trees on nearly 9 hectares
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has granted an exemption to allow the processing of tree-cutting and transplantation requests over an area larger than the usual one-hectare limit for a government housing project at Kasturba Nagar Phase-II. This allows the tree officer to decide on the felling or transplantation request for 856 trees that will be affected by the proposed construction. 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.
Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Delhi LG exempts 8.9-hectare site from tree curbs for GPRA
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. Delhi LG VK Saxena. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO) The exemption, granted under Section 29 of the Act in 'public interest', formally allows the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) to seek permission on 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.' This is the fourth instance that the provision has been invoked in recent weeks. Last week, it was applied to a 115.88-hectare construction site for the redevelopment of the New Delhi Railway Station. Prior to that, it was applied to two other sites, pertaining to Common Central Secretariat buildings and a flyover in northeast Delhi. While the exemption clears a key procedural hurdle, it does not constitute approval for cutting or transplanting any trees. It merely enables the designated tree officer to examine an application, which had previously been ineligible for consideration because of the site's size. 'This notification... shall not be considered as permission for transplantation/felling of trees,' the Act states. Upon receiving an application, the tree officer—the deputy conservator of forest (south division) in this case—will independently scrutinise the application, comprising due diligence under the DPTA, the Delhi Preservation of Trees Rules, 1996, and compliance with any court directions. 'The tree officer must apply due diligence and aim to minimise the number of trees affected by the project,' the gazette reads. Section 29 of the DPTA gives power to the government to provide exemption, citing public interest. Section 9(3), meanwhile, allows a tree officer to only consider up to one hectare in area for a project. The exemption essentially allows an area of more than one hectare to be considered by a tree officer. The Kasturba Nagar GPRA project is part of the Centre's plan to redevelop seven GPRA colonies across south Delhi. Of these, three are being handled by NBCC, while CPWD is in charge of four—two of them, Mohammadpur and Thyagraj Nagar, have already been completed. The remaining two—Kasturba Nagar and Srinivaspuri—are under construction. HT reported last month how the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) had, for the second time, rejected the revised proposal for the project after raising concerns over inadequate planning, inefficient land use and poor compliance with its earlier observations. Under Phase 2 of the Kasturba Nagar project, plans are afoot to create over 3,500 housing units in total, an anganwadi, convenience shops, a coaching centre, a banquet hall, a podium and a residential complex comprising 25 towers. In a notification published on June 17, the LG issued an exemption to a 115.88-hectare site for the redevelopment of the New Delhi Railway Station, with 887 trees falling in its way. On June 6, Saxena issued a similar exemption for a 5.037-hectare site at the Common Central Secretariat project, involving 476 trees. A day earlier, he cleared a 2.16-hectare stretch for a flyover at the Nand Nagri–Gagan Cinema junction, where 27 trees are affected. Opposition parties, however, criticised the move. Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav called the decision an 'environmental disaster'. 'This is a double blow to both the environment and social justice. The soul of Delhi resides in its slums, and its breath comes from its trees, and if both are destroyed, Delhi will face an existential crisis,' Yadav said. The BJP did not respond to a request for comment.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
LG allows leeway for Kasturba Nagar redevelopment; 856 trees to be affected
New Delhi: Lieutenant governor VK Saxena, through a gazette notification, granted an exemption under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994, to facilitate the construction of residential accommodation at Kasturba Nagar Phase-II over an area of 8.90 hectares. This could lead to the felling or transplantation of 856 trees. While a tree officer, under the provisions of the DPTA, can only consider an application for felling or transplantation of trees limited to a one-hectare area, the gazette exempts the entire section of the DPTA to overrule the area limitation clause. Though the notification is not permission to fell the trees, it grants the tree officer authority to consider if the required permission could be granted for the entire exempted area. This exemption, granted under Section 29 of the DPTA, allows CPWD to seek permission from a tree officer in the Delhi forest department to fell or transplant 856 trees. The move was criticised by Delhi Congress on Sunday. The gazette notification was issued on June 13 but made public on Sunday. It stated that it invokes Section 29 of the DPTA to bypass the area restriction in "public interest." "… 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 the construction of General Pool Residential accommodation," the notification says. This provision has been utilised a few times recently, including for the New Delhi Railway station redevelopment (115.88 hect), Common Central Secretariat buildings, and a northeast Delhi flyover. The exemption allows the tree officer to review the previously ineligible application. With required exemption, the deputy conservator of forest (south division), acting as the tree officer, will evaluate the application according to DPTA guidelines, Delhi Preservation of Trees Rules, 1996, and relevant court directives. The gazette mandates that the tree officer must exercise careful consideration to minimise tree impact. Attacking BJP, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said, "This is a double blow to both the environment and social justice."
