Editor Mr.Mayank Rawat ( Chief Editor Mr. Rohit Mishra )
New Delhi: The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court has recommended court approval to use 2.1 hectares within the Morphological Ridgefor constructing new hostel blocks at Jawaharlal Nehru University. This development would involve the felling of 27 trees and the transplantation of 19 others.The morphological Ridge, characterised by Ridge-like terrain and features, is granted the same level of protection as other designated Ridge areas.After CEC’s nod, the project needs the final approval of the Supreme Court.Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, vice-chancellor of JNU, applied to CEC on April 30 for permission to use 2.1 hectares to construct proposed hostel blocks on the university campus. She had earlier applied for permission to fell 46 trees in this area under provisions of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994. However, the forest department had returned the application because the project area fell in the Morphological Ridge.Out of 104 trees present on the proposed hostel site, 46 trees will be affected by the planned construction. Of these, 27 are proposed to be chopped down and 19 to be transplanted.Following a site visit on May 2, CEC recommended that the Supreme Court might consider permitting JNU to use the land. Since 46 trees are to be felled or transplanted, CEC asked the university to plant 10 times this number, rounding it off to 500 trees in the area earmarked for the purpose. “JNU should actively plant, in two concentric rings, indigenous fruit trees all along its perimeter and undertake gap planting because tree and plant cover on the campus is in constant decline. This becomes more important because JNU is part and parcel of the larger Ridge ecosystem, which needs to be preserved,” said CEC in its report to the court dated May 8.Among the conditions imposed on JNU by CEC are for the university to deposit with the forest department the cost of undertaking the plantation and maintenance of trees for five years and to ensure the protection of wild plant and animal species found on the campus.According to the proposal, the university has secured a loan of Rs 495 crore from the Higher Education Funding Authority to support various critical infrastructure projects, including Rs 168.9 crore specifically for constructing two new hostel blocks. The hostel population in JNU has grown from approximately 7,000 to around 9,800 in recent years, creating a shortage of nearly 2,800 hostel beds. Furthermore, with the optimal functioning of new schools and centres, an additional 700-800 students are expected to enrol in the next few years, a JNU official said.To address the existing and anticipated shortfall in student housing, the university proposes to construct two hostel blocks with a combined capacity of around 2,600 beds. The proposed hostel project is planned as a ground-plus-11-floors structure.
Mayank Rawat
