IIT Delhi to construct 2 blocks, transplant 157 trees; govt approves proposal

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has approved a proposal for the construction of a mini academic block and an engineer block at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, for which 157 trees will be transplanted, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday.

Kejriwal said 1,570 new trees will be planted on the IIT campus where new labs and research spaces will come up under the newly announced project. The proposed blocks will be used for constructing new labs and research spaces which will benefit thousands of students and faculty members of IIT Delhi. "In a major decision, we have approved a proposal for the construction of a new Mini Academic Block and a new Engineer Block at IIT Delhi. 157 trees will be removed and transplanted for the project, but 1,570 new trees will be planted inside the campus,” Kejriwal tweeted.

He said this decision will go a long way in serving future engineers and researchers. "The IIT intends to construct several essential labs and research spaces in the new blocks. Our government will leave no stone unturned in ensuring quality education for our students,” the chief minister said in another tweet. According to a statement issued by the Delhi government, IIT had sent a proposal to remove and transplant 157 trees to clear its construction site. Kejriwal has approved the project against the condition of IIT taking up the plantation of 1,570 trees inside its campus, the statement said.

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The statement said that given the importance of the modern infrastructure for the IIT, the chief minister accorded his approval to speed up the work by clearing the patch in the interest of students and researchers. The approval will largely help thousands of students and faculty members of the institute in their day to day activities, and give them access to better facilities, it said. "Approving the proposal, the Delhi government has noted that out of the 157 trees, IIT will transplant 82 trees, while it will take up felling of 75 trees only. The transplantation will take place within the identified project site,” the statement said.

It added that any tree is found to have a nest of birds then it will not be allowed to be felled or transplanted till the birds abandon the tree. Further, the lops and tops of the trees shall be sent to the nearest crematorium for free by the IIT within 90 days of its felling, the statement said. The statement further said that the Delhi government has instructed the IIT to not damage a single tree at the site other than those that have been identified and approved by the government. If any tree apart from the 157 approved ones is damaged, it shall constitute an offence under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act 1994, it said.

The Delhi government has further made it mandatory for IIT to plant 10 times the trees, in lieu of the removal and transplantation. The IIT will be planting the new 1,570 trees within its campus to maintain ecological balance. The statement added that these 1,570 trees will be planted upon the identified land parcels within three months from the date on which the permission for shifting of the trees will be issued. The IIT will further take the responsibility of maintaining the trees for the next seven years, as per Delhi government's guidelines.

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According to the statement, under the proposal approved by the Delhi government, various species of trees that include neem, amaltas, pipal, pilkhan, gular, bargad, mango and sheesham among other species will be planted. As for the trees that have to be transplanted, the IIT has been instructed to start the process immediately after fulfilling requisite conditions, and complete it within six months.