Central Vista: Plan To Divert Deemed Forest Land Gets ''in-principle'' nod

Of the 2,219 trees at the site, the Central Public Works Department seeks to transplant 1,734 and retain 485 trees.

The Environment Ministry's Regional Empowered Committee (REC) has "in-principle" approved a proposal for diversion of 8.11 hectares of "deemed forest" land, where the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) stood, for the construction of three office buildings under the Central Vista redevelopment project. The final approval for diversion of forest land is to be granted by the central government. In August, the Delhi government had recommended the proposal for approval of the REC "in larger public interest subject to the conditions laid by the forest department". There are more than 250 trees per hectare at the site. Therefore, it was treated as "deemed forest" and required approval for diversion for non-forest activity under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, a Delhi forest department official said.