Delhi Metro’s Silver Line to cost over 1000 trees. Internet in fumes

The proposal for Delhi Metro’s Aerocity-Tughlakabad corridor under Phase IV to pass through the Ridge and the morphological Ridge areas was passed by the Ridge Management Board (RMB) on Thursday. The project will see at least 1072 trees axed and environmentalists are not happy. 

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“We can not allow to damage the lungs of the city !! We need to have nature-friendly sol (sic),” Rise Foundation, a Rishikesh-based NGO, tweeted. 

The proposal had been pending with the RMB for several months. The officials said that an area of 45096 square meters will be required for the metro tunnel; 14,865 sqm to construct stations, and 69,793 sqm as temporary land area. The corridor is planned to be 24 km long and will pass through Mahipalpur, Kishangarh, IGNOU and Maa Anandmayee Marg. 

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“Delhi already suffers from poor air quality, now we are onto cutting 1000 trees for the metro corridor. All human development, but none in interest of humanity,” a Twitter user said. 

“We have enough stations for god’s sake,” another one said. 

“Delhi Metro’s Silver Line gets nod to pass through Ridge, over 1,000 trees to be cut. Why not find an alternative that works without cutting 1000+ trees. Go around it. Go underground or find some other way,” an environmentalist said. 

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As per locatreesestimates website, for the trees to reach their full growth, it depends on the climate and the water available. In tropical climates with warm weather and a plentiful water supply, a tree can become fully grown in 30 years. A tree in cooler regions may take several hundred years to reach full maturity depending upon the tree species.