The Daily Fix: To save Delhi’s trees, governments should bury differences and work out a new plan

The Big Story: Felling trees

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the National Building Construction Corporation not to cut any trees till July 4 for the redevelopment of over half-a-dozen colonies in South Delhi.

Over the last few weeks, Delhi residents have taken to the streets to protest against a proposal to cut over 16,500 trees. The trees will make way for new residential colonies and commercial complexes, apart from underground parking lots.

The proposal to cut the trees is both insensitive and bad policy making. Delhi ranks among the most polluted cities in the world, with the air quality index deteriorating to extreme levels in winter months due to a host of factors. While hardly anything concrete has been done to solve the pollution crisis, the felling of thousands of trees will only add to the problem, however strong the development argument may be.

The big problem with the current initiative is the total lack of transparency. The Centre and Delhi government have been blaming each other for clearing the permission to chop the trees down. There is still no clarity even on how many trees are to be cut down, with estimates placing the figure anywhere between 12,000 and 17,000. While the authorities have claimed an environment clearance was given in November last year, it is not clear if any public consultation was held before approving the projects.

The proposal by the governments to compensate for the felled tress by planting twice the number of saplings is hardly a solution. Studies have shown that only 10% of such new plantations survive and grow into trees. This essentially means the green cover of the city would permanently come down once 16,500 trees are cut. Further, once new commercial complexes and colonies are built, the area is bound to grow further given the improved economic activity.

The manner in which the National Buildings Construction Corporation has presented its case before the High Court shows that it is in no mood to withdraw from the proposal to cut the trees. It seems to be satisfied with depositing money for compensatory plantation, hardly showing any interest in revising its construction plans.

Instead of blaming each other, the Centre and Delhi government should try to work out alternative plans that would minimise environment damage in a city that is already struggling hard to breathe.

Punditry

1. In the Indian Express, jurist Fali S Nariman recounts the Emergency and how  repressive laws were oppressively implemented and the people looked in vain to the courts for intervention. 
2. Research and development in water-efficient crops, along with investment in alternative modes of irrigation, are a must, argues this editorial in Mint. 
3. Blame liberal democracy’s flaws for Erdoğan’s win, not the voters, says Simon Jenkins in the Guardian on the latest elections in Turkey.

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