CEC clears proposal to build roads in southern ridge near Delhi’s Chhattarpur

DDA will need a clearance under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, if the area is a notified forest, despite CEC approval.

The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has approved a Delhi Development Authority (DDA) proposal to construct two roads — with a total length of around 2.7km — in parts of the Southern Ridge between Chhattarpur and Maidangarhi to facilitate a series of housing projects for central security agencies, among other projects, according to a report submitted by the committee to the top court.

The roads that will connect Chhattarpur’s Gaushala Road to the South Asian University (SAU) road (1.07km) and further, the university to the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS) in Maidangarhi (1.65 km), will pass through 8.7 hectares of forest and non-forest land and involve felling or transplantation of 1,051 trees. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The roads that will connect Chhattarpur’s Gaushala Road to the South Asian University (SAU) road (1.07km) and the university to the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences (CAPFIMS) in Maidangarhi (1.65 km), will pass through 8.7 hectares of forest and non-forest land and involve felling or transplantation of 1,051 trees. HT has seen a copy of the report.

To be sure, DDA will need a clearance under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, if the area is a notified forest, despite CEC approval. To fell trees on non-forest land, permission will have to be sought under the Delhi Protection of Trees Act 1994. HT reached out to DDA but no response was available.

The move has invited strong criticism from environmental activists who have pointed out that far more stringency is needed when granting permission to construct something in the Ridge.

CEC has approved the project citing it is in the “public interest”, keeping in mind future developments planned by DDA in the area. The project was approved by Delhi’s Ridge Management Board (RMB) on August 24, 2023, which recommended the proposal to CEC, which takes the final call on construction in forest land.

“The entire alignment of the road is over an area of 8.7 hectares and DDA will be utilising 3.6 hectares of the southern ridge and 0.968 hectares of morphological ridge land. This will involve felling of 1,051 trees, standing within the proposed alignment of construction,” CEC said in its report dated December 6, submitted to the court.

The report said that 296 out of the 1,051 trees were part of non-forest land, adding that the area is part of an eco-sensitive zone of Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.

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CEC, in its recommendation, said a provision for plantation within the ROW has been included in the proposal and the run-off water from paved surfaces will flow into swales. Around 500 trees are to be planted in the cross-section of these bio-swales.

CEC said DDA is planning to carry out Integrated Transit Corridor Development, for which approach roads totalling an approximate length of 10.5 km have been planned in the area, which would also be connected to nearby Satbari and Sahurpur.

“Several large-scale projects are being executed in this area including the SAU, housing for CBI, a unified complex of NIC, a CISF housing complex, a campus of IIFT, Delhi Police housing and residential buildings for NIA and CAPFIMS. Several plots have been allotted recently by DDA... However, there is no proper access to these projects which are under execution. Though the construction of the approach roads involves a length of about 10.525 kms... approval is being sought for construction of Gaushala Road, Chhattarpur Road to SAU, and SAU to CAPFIMS road,” said the report.

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“The construction of this 2.7 km long road is in the public interest and an access road is a basic necessity for important institutions,” it added. The estimated cost of the Gaushala road (1.07km) is ₹29.86 crore and the CAPFIMS Road (1.65 km) is ₹33.62 crore. It added that the Gaushala Road will have a right of way (ROW) of 30 metres and the road from SAU to CAPFIMS of 24 metres.

“Over the last few years, we have already seen how difficult it is to remove encroachments from the ridge. Now we are allowing more projects in the Ridge sending out the wrong message. This is depleting its green cover,” said Sonya Ghosh, an environmental activist.

Bhavreen Kandhari, another environmental activist said the fragmentation of the Ridge was clearly a violation of the right to clean air. “The Ridge contributes to groundwater recharge, temperature regulation, and serves as a sound barrier. Construction inside a forest clearly impacts the health and well being of the citizens and their future in this city.” she said.