The Central Public Works Department’s (CPWD) proposal to construct an executive enclave as part of the redevelopment of the Central Vista would remove an “excessively high proportion” of trees, the Delhi State-level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) noted while considering the environment clearance (EC) application recently.

The SEAC, in its meeting on January 31, was informed by officials of the CPWD; the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs;, and HCP Design, Planning and Management, the CPWD’s consultant for the Central Vista project, about the details of the executive enclave project near South Block, which includes a new Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). However, after deliberating, the panel did not recommend the EC be granted and asked for additional information from the CPWD, according to the minutes of the meeting that were published on Monday.

The panel asked for the building plan’s approval from the New Delhi Municipal Council, the Delhi Urban Art Commission and the Delhi Fire Service. The SEAC raised concerns over the number of trees to be removed from the site — 630 out of the 784 trees at the site were proposed to be transplanted by the CPWD.

“The trees on the site form an important part of the natural heritage of the city. While the ground coverage on the site is reducing from existing 40% to around 20%, about 80% of the existing trees are proposed to be removed. This is an excessively high proportion…Attempt may be made to increase the trees to be retained,” the SEAC said.

The committee also asked for a detailed inventory of the trees on the site, with species and girth, as well as the details of the number of trees being removed to make way for buildings or additional paved area. The CPWD had proposed a total green area of 28,500 square metres, in the total plot area of 81,808.96 sq.m., with 154 trees to be retained, 630 to be transplanted and 634 new ones to be planted.

“It was noted that valuable open area was being used for at-grade parking. Proponent [CPWD] to provide justification why all parking cannot be accommodated in basements or stilts. Also plans to be provided showing that no trees are being cut or transplanted for provision of the at-grade parking,” the panel said.

The SEAC also noted that the site was enclosed by high boundary walls and the buildings would be set far back from the footpaths of the external roads, which, it said, “compromises safety of women on footpaths”. “This aspect needs to be addressed through suitable design interventions and technological measures,” the panel said.

The SEAC, which is chaired by architect Vijay Garg, also asked the CPWD to revise its plans for rainwater harvesting, taking into account recent flash rain and actual percolation rate of the soil. The panel noted that HUA Additional Secretary D. Thara and CPWD Special Director General P.S. Chauhan “assured to review the proposal in best possible manner to implement the environmental safeguards in week (sic)“.

The cost of the project, which includes the PMO, a conference centre, the Cabinet Secretariat and the National Security Council Secretariat, was proposed to be ₹1,381 crore, an increase from ₹1,171 crore that was estimated by the CPWD when it floated a tender for it in November 2021.

A total of five buildings with built-up area of 90,000 sq.m. would be constructed on the site after demolishing built-up area of 47,000 sqm, the CPWD proposed.