The proposal for the new Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters in the Delhi Cantt area was accepted by the Delhi Chief minister on Thursday. The modern IDS complex, which will have a new officers’ mess and camp, has been made possible after the approval by Arvind Kejriwal.
Notably, to clear its building site, the Union Ministry of Defence suggested cutting down and transplanting 114 trees. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister, cleared the way for the project by approving the mentioned application.
Following the plan, Kejriwal authorised the proposal subject to the Ministry of Defence undertaking the transplantation of 60 existing trees and the planting of 1,140 new seedlings, according to the official release.
The Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters’ suggested location is Mehram Nagar, according to the Ministry of Defence. To clear the land, the Ministry went to the Delhi government asking for permission to cut down and relocate 114 trees. Gopal Rai, the minister of the environment, presented the Chief Minister with the plan in question. The Chief Minister thereafter gave his consent for the same.
While approving the proposal, Kejriwal stated that it will be presented to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena so he could decide whether or not to raise any differences. He further added that out of these 114 trees, new trees will be transplanted within the identified project site. The Ministry has also been instructed by the Delhi Government not to harm any trees at the site other than those that have been marked and approved by the government. According to the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act of 1994, it is illegal to injure any tree other than those that have been approved.
In addition to this, the Delhi government has mandated that the Ministry of Defence will plant ten times as many trees as it would have otherwise removed and relocated. Thus, they will now plant 1,140 new saplings apart from transplanting the 52 percent of trees at the site. Within three months of the date on which the authorization for relocating the trees will be obtained, these trees will be planted upon the designated land parcels. Under the Delhi Government’s directives, the Defence Ministry would also be in charge of caring for the trees for the next seven years.
According to the proposal, that has been approved by the Kejriwal government, the various trees and the species will be planted according to the soil and climate of Delhi will be planted instead of the removal of trees. These trees will be planted as 6-foot-tall saplings on the non-forest grounds. These include, among other species, Neem, Amaltas, Pipal, Pilkhan, Gular, Bargad, Desi Kikar, and Arjun.
Regarding the trees that need to be transplanted, the Ministry has been instructed to begin the procedure as soon as the requirements are met and finish it within six months. The Defence Ministry will also give the Tree Officer a report on the matter for oversight.
The organisation known as the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) is in charge of promoting coordination and facilitating prioritising across the various Indian Armed Forces branches. Members from the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Ministry of External Affairs, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Ministry of Defence, and Ministry of Finance form the group. The Chief of Integrated Defence Staff and Deputy Chiefs of Integrated Defence Staff are in command of the IDS. The position of Chief of Defence Staff, a four-star general and tri-service chief who would oversee the Department of Military Affairs, was created by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on December 24, 2019. The organisation counsels and supports the Chief of Defence.
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