NBBC revises contract guidelines; asks contractors to plant more trees on project sites

State-owned construction firm NBCC today said it has increased the number of trees that contractors need to plant at the project site or within 20km radius after the award of contracts.

The company recently had faced criticism for large-scale felling of trees in housing projects in south Delhi.

NBCC has issued revised General Conditions of Contract (GCC) making it mandatory for contractors to plant five trees for each Rs 1 crore value for projects having estimated cost up to Rs 100 crore, the company said in a statement.

For projects valuing between Rs 100-300 crore, the contractors will now have to plant and maintain 500 trees plus 2 trees for each Rs 1 crore value above Rs 100 crore.

Similarly, for projects valued at over Rs 300 crore, the contractors will have to plant and maintain 1,000 trees plus 1 tree for each Rs 1 crore value above Rs 300 crore.

Earlier, the contractors were required to plant 50 trees for projects valued between Rs 25 crore and Rs 100 crore, 100 trees for projects valued between Rs 100 crore and Rs 300 crore, and 200 trees for projects valued above Rs 300 crore.

The contractor at his own cost will plant at least 5-feet-high trees of different varieties at the project site, or in any specified area within the radius of 20 km if the space is not available at the project site," the company said, adding that the plantation should be within six months from handing over of site to the contractor.

NBCC's CMD Anoop Kumar Mittal said, "We are an environment-conscious corporate and sustainable development is our constant endeavour. In our ongoing green initiative, we have conducted plantation drives at all our project sites and planted 23,865 trees this monsoon season."