New Delhi: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has received approval to fell or transplant 364 trees for the 9.9-km RK Ashram-Indraprastha (Central Vista) corridor.DMRC had initially sought permission to remove 405 trees, but approvals granted by the Delhi forest department and the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) resulted in 41 trees being spared.“As per CEC order dated March 25, 41 trees have been saved from the affected trees, reducing the number of total trees affected to 364,” according to the forest department’s order. It added that of these, 336 will be transplanted, while the remaining 28 trees, which are dry, will be felled. DMRC will plant 3,640 native saplings as compensatory plantation in the ratio 1:10. Transplantation and compensatory plantation have been proposed at the Aya Nagar-Jaunapur site.After CEC granted permission to DMRC, the forest department also gave approval for tree felling and transplantation. “Tree transplantation and compensatory plantation site proposed at Aya Nagar-Jaunapur was inspected by concerned field staff and was found suitable. The user agency has deposited a security amount of Rs 2.1 crore with the forest department for transplantation or felling of 364 trees. However, security deposit of Rs 1.8 crore will be refunded if the applicant carries out compensatory plantation of indigenous species and successfully maintains the plantation for seven years,” said the order dated May 27.It added that if the success percentage of the plantation is less than 100%, the amount of security deposit proportionate to the percentage of failure of plantation will be forfeited, and the forest department will raise the compensatory plantation equal to the failed number of saplings. No interest will be paid on the amount of the security deposit refunded to the applicant. Among the tree species that will be transplanted are Ashok, Neem, Ficus, Peepal, Banyan and Bougainvillea.The under-construction Indraprastha to RK Ashram Marg corridor, with nine stations, including four interchanges, will pass through the underdevelopment Central Vista area. The interchanges are RK Ashram Marg, Indraprastha, Shivaji Stadium and Central Secretariat Metro stations. Even Central Secretariat will become a triple-interchange station.Tree activist Bhavreen Kandhari said DMRC had received approval to transplant or fell 15,508 trees for the Phase IV corridors. “DMRC itself stated that by Aug 2024, about 5,003 trees had been cut and over 7,000 transplanted. However, as the city continues to witness high levels of air pollution and spells of heat wave during the summer, forest department and CEC should conduct a feasibility study so that the minimum number of trees are impacted,” said Kandhari.Apart from the RK Ashram Marg to Indraprastha corridor, two additional corridors are being constructed as part of Phase V(A) expansion – Aerocity to Indira Gandhi Airport Terminal-1 and Tughlakabad to Kalindi Kunj.