Nine trees felled to renovate Kejriwal’s house, say forest officials

According to the officials, 11 trees were allegedly found dead on the ground after being felled, meaning they were not transplanted at all

New Delhi: Nine trees were allegedly felled for the renovation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence in Civil Lines between November 2020 to April 2022 and only one of the 19 trees supposed to be transplanted was found in a healthy condition, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

ine trees were allegedly felled for the renovation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s official residence in Civil Lines between November 2020 to April 2022. (HT Photo)

According to the officials, 11 trees were allegedly found dead on the ground after being felled, meaning they were not transplanted at all. The details emerged during a field visit by forest officials on May 1 at the different sites allocated for compensatory plantation as proposed by the proponent.

“Tree cutting and relocation works were not carried out as per the approved scheme, till as late as 2023. Statutorily mandated 280 trees were to be planted at a compensatory plantation site (at green belt at Metcalfe House, DRDO Complex), against which only 83 ficus virens trees were found planted,” according to documents seen by HT.

Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994, entails that for each felled tree, 10 trees must be planted and for each transplanted tree, 10 trees must be planted. The Delhi government’s Tree Transplantation Policy, 2020, also mandates that the survival rate of the trees planted as part of compensatory plantation must be at least 80%.

HT reached out to the Delhi government as well as the Public Works Department for a comment but both did not respond.

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been conducting an indefinite dharna near Kejriwal’s residence over the alleged irregularities in the renovation. Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi said, “According to the Master Plan 2021, no construction of any kind can be done in Civil Lines. Kejriwal, who talks about the environment, cut trees but neither took permission for the same nor did he plant trees in compensation,” Lekhi said, alleging corruption in the renovation works.

AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak said the BJP’s dharna failed and the site was abandoned. “BJP announced “fast unto death” which proved to be a gimmick. We clicked pictures of BJP’s protest site, there was not a single person around,” said Pathak.