The city to axe 1,523 trees

Yet another lot of trees, 1,523 to be precise, are proposed to be axed as part of the Delhi Government's expansion plan for ensuring smooth traffic for Commonwealth Games 2010 in the national capital.

Yet another lot of trees, 1,523 to be precise, are proposed to be axed as part of the Delhi Government's expansion plan for ensuring smooth traffic for Commonwealth Games 2010 in the national capital.

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Of total 1,523 trees, 1,000 are on the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh land which is yet to be acquired for widening of Uttar Pradesh Link Road from NH-24 (Noida mor) to Chilla Regulator towards Sahadara side in East Delhi.

"We will have to cut down 523 trees on land located on our side and 1,000 on land in Uttar Pradesh to execute the Rs 334-crore project estimated to be completed before the mega sports event," a senior official told PTI.

He said tenders for widening the eastern side on the land belonging to the Delhi government have already been floated.

The work of widening on western side (on the land to be procured from UP government) will be subsequently taken after transfer of land, an issue which has remained unresolved despite several meetings between the two states.

The project involves construction of UP link road corridor and widening of this road from six lanes to eight lanes with grade separators to bridge the five T-junction, one four-armed junction and also construction of an additional four-lane bridge at Hindon Cut on Chilla Regulator.

Since work has to be started soon, we have requested the Department of Forest and Wildlife to permit felling of 530 trees on Delhi soil, the official said.