Deforestation is a major problem in the modern world. Construction and develop of natural land demands the felling of trees in great numbers. Continued exploitation of land like this are already having drastic effects on our climate and ecosystem, and these effects are bound to get worse if the situation is not mended.
NBCC, which is a government owned construction firm catering to the building and development needs of the government for public utilities, official buildnhs, etc, has received a lot of bad publicity as of late due to the completion of housing projects in the South of New Delhi, which resulted in a large scale decapitation of trees. The form has adopted a policy for afforestation which will attempt to repair the damage done by such projects. The firm had not only vowed, but is obligated to plant trees in proportion to the cost of the development project. For instance, previously, the firm was bound to plant 50 trees for projects valued between Rs. 25 to 100 Cr, 100 trees for projects valued between Rs. 100 to 300 Cr. And 200 trees for projects whose value exceeds RS. 300 Cr.
After the bad press and public backlash of the firm's most recent project, the conditions were refined. According to the new guidelines, the firm has to plant five trees for each Cr. spent on the projects valued at Rs. 100 Cr, 500 trees, in addition to two trees for each Cr after RS. 100 Cr. on projects up to RS. 300 Cr, and 1000 trees with the same condition as above, but after RS. 300 Cr. Furthermore, the overseeing contractor has to plant different varieties of trees at least five feet in height on the project site at his own cost. To ensure the completion of these obligations, the firm specified that the planting should be concluded within six months from handing over of the site to the contractor.
This is definitely a right step taken by the state in the revival of nature, especially in a city like Delhi, which is notorious for human induced environmental hazards.
Courtesy/By: Utkarsh Yadav
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30 Aug 2018
