SC panel clears tree felling, transplantation for new JNU hostel

The morphological ridge is an area which shows ridge-like features (such as rocky terrains and hills), but is not a notified or protected forest

New Delhi

JNU said it currently faces a shortage of around 2,800 hostel beds as the number of students increased from 7,000 to nearly 9,800 in recent years. (HT Archive)

The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) approved the construction of a hostel block in a 2.1-hectare area of the morphological ridge. CEC said a total of 46 trees will be impacted, with 27 to be felled and 19 transplanted, adding this was the minimum number of trees to be impacted and that the project was in the public interest.

The morphological ridge is an area which shows ridge-like features (such as rocky terrains and hills), but is not a notified or protected forest. It enjoys the same protection as Delhi’s Ridge and forest areas, with no commercial activity or construction allowed there.

Giving its permission and recommending it to the Supreme Court, which will give the final approval, CEC asked JNU to give 5% of the project cost to the Ridge Management Board (RMB) and to plant 500 saplings in compensatory plantation. Further, it said JNU will have to ensure the protection of wild plants and animal species on the campus and strengthen boundary walls wherever required.

“After considering that the project is in public interest, that the project site, though not part of the notified Ridge forest area land but is rocky and having all essential morphological features of the Ridge area and it is recommended that this Hon’ble Court may consider permitting the Applicant JNU for use of 2.1 hectare land involving felling of 27 trees and transplantation of 19 trees out of 104 trees in question at the proposed project site in the campus..” said the CEC reported dated May 8, a copy of which was accessed by HT.

JNU vice-chancellor professor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit submitted an application to the CEC on February 4, seeking permission to utilise the land. CEC initially asked JNU to submit the proposal to the RMB, but this was returned without any comment, as the RMB is barred by the Supreme Court from clearing new projects amid an ongoing case.

The CEC said: “In addition to this, the JNU shall actively plant, in two concentric rings, indigenous fruit trees all along its perimeter and undertake gap planting because tree and plant cover on the campus is on constant decline. This becomes more important because the JNU is part and parcel of the larger Ridge ecosystem, which needs to be preserved.”

According to the university, the expansion is driven by a growing student population. As per the report, JNU said it currently faces a shortage of around 2,800 hostel beds as the number of students increased from 7,000 to nearly 9,800 in recent years. It expects intake to increase by 700–800 students over the next three to four years.

The proposed construction plan includes two G+11 hostel blocks with a total capacity of 2,600 beds. The university has secured ₹495 crore in funding from the Higher Education Funding Authority (HEFA), of which ₹168.92 crore is earmarked for this hostel construction, it said.