In a recent disclosure, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has come under scrutiny for its impact on the environment, revealing that since the initiation of Phase 1 construction in 1998, a significant number of trees have been felled. Government data cited by PTI indicates that 44,186 trees were cut down, while 7,923 were transplanted during this period. However, the DMRC managed to preserve 12,580 trees through layout changes and other measures.
Construction of the Delhi Metro’s different phases
The Phase 1 construction, which took place between 1998 and 2005, saw 13,858 trees being felled and 3,584 trees being transplanted. It resulted in the creation of a 65-kilometre-long rail network comprising 59 stations. During Phase 2, which occurred between 2005 and 2011, 17,997 trees were felled. This phase extended the rail network to 125 kilometres with 89 stations. Phase 3, spanning nine years, saw 11,872 trees being cut down and 506 being transplanted. It expanded the rail network to 160 kilometres with 109 stations. In Phase 4, which began in 2019, 459 trees were felled, and 781 were transplanted as of January 2022. In this phase, DMRC has been working on three corridors, covering 65 kilometres with 48 stations.
Alarming Stats
Data submitted in the Delhi High Court by the Forest Department in May 2022 revealed that around 77,000 trees, an average of three trees every hour, were either chopped or transplanted for development projects in the preceding three years. Only one-third of the total transplanted trees managed to survive in the same period. In 2019, 2020, and 2021, permissions were granted to cut down or transplant 29,946 trees under Section 9 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA) and 47,474 trees under Section 29. The figures have sparked public outcry and renewed calls for stricter preservation measures as the city grapples with the environmental impact of urban development. Authorities are investigating the possibility of illegal tree felling in addition to the officially reported numbers.
