Central Vista Project Faces Tree Loss Amid Ongoing Developments
Tree Transplantation Issues in Central Vista Project
The Union government revealed in Parliament that approximately 43% of the trees relocated for the Central Vista project have died. This announcement was made on Thursday.
Initiated in 2019, the Central Vista project aims to revamp a section of central Delhi. To date, the new Parliament building, the vice president’s residence, the central secretariat, and the new Prime Minister’s Office have been completed.
Critics have labeled the initiative a “vanity project” of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government.
During a Lok Sabha session, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, reported that out of 3,609 trees transplanted, 1,545 have died.
Among the transplanted trees, 1,734 originated from the central secretariat site, 402 from the new Parliament building, 390 from the vice president’s enclave, and 143 from the new Prime Minister’s Office and residence.
To comply with legal requirements, Sahu mentioned that 24,450 trees have been planted at the NTPC Eco Park in Badarpur, Delhi, along with 1,730 trees in Ghitorni as compensation for the trees removed.
Additionally, he stated that Rs 5.2 crore has been allocated for the transplantation and compensatory planting efforts between 2023-2024 and 2025-2026.
This information was shared by Sahu in response to a query from Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra.
Overview of the Central Vista Projects
The Central Vista project encompasses the construction of a new Parliament building, official residences for the vice president and prime minister, a new Prime Minister’s Office, and ten government office buildings known as the Kartavya Bhavans.
These new structures are being erected on the sites of existing government offices, which are being demolished. Construction is currently ongoing for the prime minister’s new residence and the remaining seven secretariat buildings.
The project also includes plans to transform the North Block and South Block offices into a new national museum.