Executive Enclave gets green light from Delhi environment panel

NEW DELHI: According to sources, the “Executive Enclave”, which is part of the Central Vista Redevelopment Plan, has received environmental approval from the Delhi State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). During the building of Executive Enclave, which will house the new Prime Minister’s Office, the Cabinet Secretariat, the user agency, the India House, and the National Security Council Secretariat, and Central Public Works Department (CPWD), 487 trees will be transplanted. When the proposal for granting environmental clearance was first discussed on January 31, the Delhi State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) expressed concern with the CPWD’s plan to remove an “excessively large proportion” of trees from the site.

In a later revision, the CPWD increased the number of trees to be retained at the site from 154 to 320, while reducing the number of trees to be transplanted from 630 to 487. The SEAC had voted to present the updated application to the SEIAA for the granting of the environmental clearance during a meeting held on April 9. However, due to significant amount of tree transplantation involved, the SEIAA had referred the matter back to the SEAC in order to examine the implementation of the Tree Transplantation Policy, 2020, notified by the Delhi government. According to a source, the project received environmental approval at a recent SEIAA conference. The CPWD would maintain 1022 trees at the site so that there is one tree for every 80 square metres of the plot area, in accordance with the Union environment ministry’s rules, as stated in the updated plan for the Rs 1381-crore project. After tearing down the existing built-up area of 47,000 square metres, five structures with a combined built-up area of 90,000 square metres will be created there.