Joka Metro work: Transplant hope for trees in Kol’s only urban forest
Times of India | 6 May 2024
Kolkata: In a relief to city’s green cover, the trees in the urban forest patch around the intersection of Mayo Road and J L Nehru Road — known as ‘Shal-Mahul-Piyal’— will be transplanted instead of being axed to facilitate the Joka-Esplanade Metro corridor work.
Besides, an advance compensatory plantation will also be taken up in Maidan to mitigate the impact of deforestation for the construction of an underground metro line from Park Street to Esplanade for the Purple Line.
In fact, the entire urban forest patch at this spot is a result of the compensatory plantation taken up for the construction of four flyovers — funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)— including the adjacent Park Street flyover.
In a recent meeting presided over by the transport secretary, Saumitra Mohan, for clearing the land logjams for the upcoming metro corridor, the executing agency — Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) — assured that adequate measures would be taken up to protect the environment in compliance with the Calcutta High Court’s order prohibiting uprooting of the trees.
It was initially estimated that 700 full-grown trees need to be uprooted for the construction of Kidderpore, Victoria, Park Street, and Esplanade underground metro stations by cut-and-cover method.
However, fewer number of trees now need to be transplanted.
Along the metro corridor, an NOC for Victoria station has been accorded by the forest department.
RVNL requested the forest department to issue clearance certificates for new plantations against the transplantation of trees at two locations, St Thomas School (Kidderpore station site) and Park Street at the earliest and issue NOCs immediately after new plantations.
It was agreed that RVNL would submit an advance copy containing names of all trees to be transplanted and the forest department, in return, would submit a list of species for new plantations well in advance so that new plantations are carried out by RVNL at the earliest. This was revealed in the minutes of the meeting. The trees will be transplanted in barren stretches of the Maidan before the actual metro construction.
The local military authority was requested to issue permission for the transplantation of trees between Park Street and Esplanade stretch and provide suitable sites for new plantations as well as transplantation of trees in the Maidan area. Commissioner, KMC, agreed that nearby vacant land under the civic body’s jurisdiction in the vicinity of Maidan area can be used for the new plantations.
The L20 bus stand at Esplanade was proposed to be shifted by WBTC.
Suitable plans for the diversion of Dufferin Road would be finalised by the Kolkata police traffic department in consultation and assistance with RVNL. Approval of traffic diversion at DH Road was sought by RVNL from Kolkata Traffic Police at the earliest.