Delhi: DMRC to cut 527 trees, transplant nearly 3,000 for Rithala-Kundli metro corridor

Nearly 3,000 trees will be transplanted, while more than 500 will be felled for the construction of the Delhi Metro’s upcoming Rithala-Kundli corridor under Phase IV, according to documents issued by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

A total of 3,493 trees will be affected across different stretches of the proposed corridor, with 2,966 earmarked for transplantation and 527 proposed to be cut after obtaining the requisite permissions, the documents stated.

A total of 1,459 affected trees are located in the stretch between the Rohini Sector-34 and Bawana Industrial Area stations. Of these, 1,424 will be transplanted and 35 cut, according to the documents.

Another 1,128 trees will be impacted in the section from the Rithala dead-end to the Rohini Sector-34 station, including 946 slated for transplantation and 182 for felling.

In the stretch between the Bawana Industrial Area and the Delhi-Haryana border, 906 trees have been identified, including 596 to be transplanted and 310 to be cut.

The affected locations include areas near the Rohini Sector-25, Rohini Sector-28 and Rohini Sector-34 stations, as well as sites in Bawana and Narela. Trees along the Western Yamuna Canal, UER-I and UER-II corridors, a metro depot entry-exit point, the Food Corporation of India depot and the Delhi-Ambala railway line will also be affected, the documents said.

According to the documents, the transplanted trees will be relocated to a designated site at Dera Mandi in south Delhi.

Delhi’s tree-transplantation policy mandates the use of scientific methods for relocating trees and monitoring their survival rates after transplantation.

It also provides for a dedicated Tree Transplantation Cell to frame technical guidelines, maintain records and track the survival of the transplanted trees.

The Tree Authority is responsible for monitoring transplantation projects and ensuring compliance with prescribed norms to improve the success rate of transplanted trees in the national capital.

The Union Cabinet approved the 26.463-km Rithala-Kundli corridor under Delhi Metro Phase IV in 2024 at an estimated cost of Rs 6,230 crore.

The corridor will be an extension of the existing Shaheed Sthal (New Bus Adda)-Rithala Red Line and is expected to improve connectivity in northwest Delhi, including Narela, Bawana and parts of Rohini. The corridor will have 21 stations.

The DMRC currently operates a network of 12 colour-coded lines spanning 416 km with 303 stations.