New Delhi, July 7: The Delhi government’s Department of Forests and Wildlife has approved the relocation or felling of 1,091 trees to facilitate the redevelopment of the General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) Colony in Sarojini Nagar.
The approval was granted to NBCC (India) Limited following months of site inspections and a review by the Union Central Empowered Committee (CEC). Officials said the number of affected trees was significantly reduced through a detailed review process before the final clearance.
Initially, 1,218 trees were identified for removal or transplantation. After a site inspection by the Tree Officer, the number was reduced to 1,170, preserving 48 trees. The proposal was then reviewed by the CEC, which, in its order dated May 11, 2026, directed that an additional 79 trees be retained. As a result, the final number of trees approved for transplantation or felling was reduced to 1,091.
Sources said the final approval was issued on June 19, 2026.
The forest department has also directed that all trees not included in the approved list must remain protected and undisturbed throughout the construction process.
The Sarojini Nagar redevelopment is part of the Central government’s larger initiative, approved by the Union Cabinet in July 2016, to modernize seven ageing General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) colonies in Delhi.
NBCC (India) Limited, a public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, is executing the project, while the Union Central Empowered Committee functions as a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
