Delhi PWD gets initial nod to cut trees for Barapullah Phase 3 flyover

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The Public Works Department ( PWD) has received in-principle tree-felling approval from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) for Barapullah Phase 3 project, said officials on Wednesday.

The Barapullah Phase 3 project envisages providing seamless and signal-free connectivity between Mayur Vihar-I (East Delhi) and AIIMS (South Delhi). The new flyover will merge with the existing Barapullah flyover at Sarai Kale Khan.

"In-principle approval has been given by the CEC for cutting trees. There are about 274 trees on the Mayur Vihar side due to which the project has been stuck for several years. As soon as we get the final approval, work on the ground will commence," said a senior PWD officer.

Last month, the CEC carried out a survey of the site where the trees have to be removed.

PWD Minister Parvesh Verma has visited the site twice in the past four months.

"It will take around six months to complete the project after tree-cutting permission is approved. Our target is to complete the construction work by the end of this year," Verma said.

The CEC is a five-member committee formulated by the Supreme Court of India to monitor afforestation and tree-cutting permissions.

The Barapullah Phase 3 project has been under construction since 2015 and has had several cost escalations and missed deadlines. Officials said more than 90 per cent of the work at the site has been completed.

Last year, Lt Governor V K Saxena had said compared to the tender amount of Rs 964 crore, the government would end up paying Rs 1,326.3 crore for the Barapullah Phase 3 project. Recently, a flyover project of the PWD in the Nand Nagari area also received the necessary permission for cutting trees.