A day after Delhiite's emulate a “chipko” like movement to save Delhi lungs — the trees, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanded that the Central Government’s redevelopment plan, that requires cutting 17,000 trees in the heart of national Capital, should be “scrapped”. The AAP said that it would have a “disastrous” effect on the city.
The AAP raised the demand while welcoming the Delhi High Court’s stay on felling of trees for redevelopment project till next hearing. The AAP asserted that its Government in Delhi will not allow any more trees to be cut. How national Capital afford felling of over 16,500 trees for a housing project, the Delhi High Court asked on Monday.
Taking note of the views expressed by the court which appeared inclined to order an interim stay of the tree chopping process, the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC), tasked with redeveloping half a dozen south Delhi colonies, agreed not to cut any tree till July 4.
AAP alleged leaders of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) of evading the issue.
“The BJP leaders are evading the issue. If they want to save the trees, this project should be scrapped by the Centre,” said AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj.
Bhardwaj said the court also allowed the Delhi Government to become a party in the case.
“The Delhi government will not only try to revoke the permission given earlier to fell trees, but it will also ensure that no new permission is given to cut them,” said Bhardwaj.
He also suspected that the project was aimed at “commercial” purpose instead of providing accommodation to the bureaucrats.
“The big complexes proposed to be constructed and the photos I have seen (of the project) appear to be for commercial exploitation and not for accommodating the bureaucrats.”
He also said the permission for cutting trees was given in “chunks”by the lt Governor and the total number stood between 16000 and 17000.
The felling of the trees, numbering around 16,000-17,000 under the project will have a “disastrous” effect on Delhi and the people are very anguished over it, he said.
The AAP spokesperson said the Centre should shift the project to any other place like Gurgaon, Nodia, Rohini or Dwaraka, if the cutting of trees was unavoidable.