Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Although the action began in December 2020, the heart is wrenching now.

As we read about our beloved Delhi being given a new face, its favorite picnic spot is turning to dust now and will be later faced into granite, asphalt and concrete. It used to be long, soothing stretches of trees with freshly cut grass.

The National War Memorial paired with India gate at its back, incites every feeling of Patriotism ready to cause enough goosebumps and spark an aura of infinite blessedness. But no more.

Soon enough before our 75th Independence Day, the new Government buildings will rise from the ashes of Jamun trees and several other heritage trees.

With their carcasses, the birds and squirrels will leave the Mother Nature’s embrace, the dead yet fruit-impregnated branches will be dragged away.

The light of those antique Lamp posts will take away the memories and spirit of Delhi’s soul.

For the lovers of Nature, this seems to be a greatest calamity.

Unsurprisingly, the Central Government’s grandiose project has faced severe criticism from lobby of Environmental Activists, based on the loss of lush green cover and supposed air pollution.

Central Vista Project:

On 5 January 2021, the Supreme Court gave a green signal to the Central Vista Project in a 2-1 judgment. Judges stated:

We feel constrained to note that the petitioners enthusiastically called upon us to venture into the territories that are way beyond the contemplated powers of a constitutional court. We are compelled to wonder if we, in the absence of a legal mandate, can dictate the government to desist from spending money on one project and instead use it for something else.” 

The dissenting Judge noted: The Central Government could not have notified the modified land-use changes, without following the procedure and without prior approval/permission from the Heritage Conservation Committee. 

Further, the local body is expressly interdicted from issuing building permits in respect of the listed heritage buildings. It was necessary for the respondents to inform and put in the public domain the redevelopment plan, layouts, etc. with justification and explanatory memorandum relating to the need and necessity, with studies and reports.

It began in 2019 when the Government announced new building for the Parliament. It involves construction of a triangular Parliament building, common Central Secretariat and revamping of the 3-km-long vista or Rajpath.

What is Central Vista and what will remain of it?

Central Vista of New Delhi constitutes the Rashtrapati Bhawan (constructed by Edwin Lutyens), Parliament House (Edwin Lutyens), North and South Block (Herbert Baker), India Gate amongst others.

These iconic buildings have outlived their ages as they were constructed for the inauguration of new British capital back in 1931 though foundation was laid in 1921 by Duke of Connaught.

The aim of this reconstruction is to enable a world-class public space, an architectural icon to house modern facilities for an efficient functioning of administration along with greater integration of Cultural Institutions.

The new building will supposedly be 17,000 sq km bigger than the old one i.e. in total 64,000 sq. km. area and will be Earthquake-resistant. The estimated cost to the project will be Rs.971crores (umbrella project: at 13,500 crore).

1224 MPs (Lok Sabha chamber’s seating capacity will be 888 members, while Rajya Sabha will seat 384 members) will be housed by the new building while the North-South blocks will be converted into museums for public display.

PMO, residences of PM and President will be revamped too. Nirmaan Bhawan and Vigyan Bhawan are to be demolished.

The need for the new building arose with the sense of greater cultural integration paired with efficient inter-departmental functioning. However, there is another reason too.

India’s delimitation of Constituencies and respective seats

The state-wise allocation of seats in LS needs to be re-shuffled based on changes in population. Currently, the seats are divided based on 2001 census and boundaries of those constituencies on 2002 Delimitation. More representatives require more seats to be accommodated in a bigger building.

Ecological facets of the Controversial project:

Buildings will be built on green patches of the Capital wherein Delhi is already burdened with concrete and construction, that has to be halted when pollution and smog soars. Concrete and hardened roads are carbon emitting and absorb lesser heat. This can significantly build up Delhi into an Urban Heat Island.

Another problem comes due to demolition waste. When the lives are choking to death and breathlessness prevails, we will expect further transportation of debris by huge number of trucks across the city. None has dared to calculate the consequent pressure on lungs with excess fuel emissions.

Thirdly, when not for Corona, Delhi made headlines for its looming water crisis. Delhi contains the Yamuna’s watershed area, wherein the water seeps within surface and flows above it. Any possible project can create a barrier because of concrete usage.

Groundwater recharge will be a vague dream in the area as the water held once in extensive roots of the trees to be cut, will vanish.

Water sources of Delhi

In total, the project will sacrifice approximately 2000 heritage trees to axe, despite the denigrating fact that Delhi NCR tops the World in pollution and resultant deaths. With those trees, birds, burrow animals and even their nesting spaces will wither away.

The Project could compensate this form of deforestation by compensatory afforestation nearby but new trees cannot even minutely compete the older ones to caress Nature.

The older trees, being greater than 100 years(some) cannot endure Transplantation and will perish, putting a precious natural resource into waste. And we are not even questioning the Biodiversity loss involved.

The Jamun trees alone shelter Rosy Starlings sometimes, seen in hundreds as they dance in the sky forming different shapes over India Gate and Parakeets, they are about to lose their roosting sites.

Although the Environment Ministry has accorded environmental approval to the buildings but Environmentalists have claimed the project of not being considered as a single project and being broken up into piece-meals to obscure its true environmental impact.

Petitions against it now lies in the Apex Court.

Economic and political woes:

Adding to piling Fiscal deficit, increased tax burden on citizenry, increased sale and disinvestment of State assets, there is looming Health crisis.

No diversion to any project, whatsoever, was required when the Country is fighting with every resource possible against a deadly virus.

Impact on Humans: the dreamers of Delhi

The area has a recreational and aesthetic value attached to it. Memories were sewn into the grass and moments have flown like the growth hormone inside the trees therein.

Apart from these intangible assets, it is basic as well as fundamental Human right under article 21 of the Constitution to breathe in clean environment, let its soul rejoice in oxygen-filled plant-filtered air.

It is even included as the State’s imperative under Directive Principles mentioned in 51A (g) to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.

History has it. We have struggled to learn that there is urgent need to preserve every green area and hold respect for our surroundings to sustain better.

By Alaina Ali Beg

I am a lover of all arts and therefore can dream myself in all places where the World takes me. I am an avid animal lover and firmly believes that Nature is the true sorcerer.