This project spells disaster for the environment and indigenous bird and plant species that stand to be dislocated and destroyed

The Supreme Court recently rebuked the Centre over its “aggressive actions” regarding the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. It ordered the Government to halt all construction activities until it decides on a bunch of petitions challenging the mega redevelopment plan. The project which envisions a new 64,500 metre Parliament building that will be able to house 1,244 MPs, also includes a secretariat and a totally revamped three km-stretch of Rajpath, among other things. It is expected to be ready by 2022 to coincide with the 75th year of India’s Independence. However, the project that is being pursued in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is stirring environmental concerns and eyebrows are also being raised on the massive budget allocated to it at a time when the economy is in shambles and there are other pressing areas in need of funds.

The sharp rebuke earned by the Central Government was on account of the hasty removal of structures and uprooting and translocation of old trees, despite the court having reserved its order on the matter on November 5. There are major concerns being raised as to how the decades-old trees will fare once they are translocated. This is because soil quality and the groundwater table are not the same in every place. Apart from the obvious environmental impact their removal will have on the area and given the fact that the trees have historically been an integral part of Central Delhi, people and environmentalists alike are wondering who will shoulder the responsibility if majority of these trees die after being moved?

Plus Delhi is already turning into a concrete jungle and given the fact that it is one of the most polluted capital cities of the world, there is a dire need to preserve the green cover. With the national Capital already reeling under the effects of air pollution and facing endless traffic congestions on a daily basis, the focus should be on decongesting the city and adding to the green cover, not diminishing it further. Environmental activists are worried about the fact that the construction work would create huge amounts of demolition waste and transporting this waste and construction material for the new structures would require thousands of trucks to pass through Delhi, adding to the pollution woes of the city.

Also, Delhi is a water-stressed city. According to a survey conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature, Delhi is among the 30 cities in India susceptible to acute water risks. The ecology of the area is such that there is a watershed from the Ridge to the Yamuna and water flows, both overground and underground. The Central Vista Redevelopment Project will create a barrier at both levels because it will be fully concretised. The green area that currently absorbs rainwater and recharges the water table in the area will be gone, too.

The haste to implement the project is baffling Delhiites considering the fact that the Central Vista is a heritage precinct as per the 1962 Master Plan of the city and therefore, an important site whose alteration would need multidisciplinary studies including a full Environmental Impact Analysis (EIA). But surprisingly, the Environment Ministry was one of the first to give a clean chit to the project by granting the “green clearance” as early as May. Some environmental experts are terming these clearances as “greenwashing” wherein approvals are hastily provided to facilitate the rapid execution of a project.

Such major projects elsewhere in the world are done in a democratic manner with due importance give to established procedures. The UK’s Parliament expansion work took 10 years, as all proper studies that assured the viability and impact of the project were completed and meticulously presented to the public before starting construction. This project spells disaster for the native environment and indigenous bird and plant species that stand to be dislocated and destroyed thanks to the mega construction activity. At the end of the day, urban and environmental planning should go hand in hand and not one at the cost of other.

Apart from the adverse impact on the flora and fauna, a project of this scale has a bearing on the infrastructure too, as it increases the requirement for power, water and stresses the waste and sewage disposal system. These aspects need careful assessment before embarking on the implementation of projects; otherwise we may end up with an ill-conceived development that proves costly for the exchequer, the people and the environment. The authorities must respect public opinion and as a first step, the Government must have inclusivity in its project planning and implementation. As a part of this, any meetings involving the project should have public representatives and respected environmental experts on board. The Central Vista project must earn the tag of being a “people’s project.” The citizens must have unrestricted access to various aspects of project design and implementation.

Better still, given these apocalyptic times, the Government will do well to practice austerity and put the astounding amount of Rs 20,000 crore to better use. It could be utilised for the rehabilitation of the COVID-hit population or infused into the ailing economy.

(The writer is an environmental journalist)