NGT clears Dwarka convention centre

NEWDELHI: The proposed International Exhibition-cum-convention Centre at Dwarka — a flagship project of the Union government — cleared a major hurdle on Wednesday after the National Green Tribunal dismissed a plea filed against it.

Alleging that nearly 1,000 trees would be felled to pave way for the convention centre, Shobhit Chauhan, a resident of Dwarka, had filed a plea and had sought a complete review of the project.

A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore, while junking the plea, said that the Union environment ministry and the state environment department have examined the impact of the project on environ- ment and imposed necessary conditions to mitigate t he adverse consequences.

The NGT also said that compensatory plantation of 19,610 trees along the banks of the River Yamuna has already been ordered. The project proponent has also been asked to plant 17,098 trees at the site in Dwarka.

“We are, therefore, satisfied that all the concerns and suggestions which the applicant had raised have been examined and considered... In view of the above, the original application filed by the applicant has to be rejected,” the bench said.

The petitioner had urged that tribunal that compensatory plantation should be undertaken around Dwarka to maintain the ecological balance instead of some far off place such as ITO or Yamuna Bank Metro stations.