DU Fraternity Against Plans to Cut 1000 Trees in Campus

The following news story is courtesy Bureau Report – Zeenews.com

DU fraternity against plans to cut 1000 trees in campus

New Delhi, May 06: Enraged at Delhi University’s reported plans to fell 1,000 old trees to make way for a rugby field for the 2010 commonwealth games, the student and teaching fraternity have urged authorities to reconsider their “unjustified” decision.

In a letter to DU Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental, students and academicians said, “We could accept the sacrifice of some trees for a project of great importance, but felling so many for a one-time sports event is unjustified.”

Suggesting an alternative site near the police lines in Vijay Nagar for the rugby field, the green-lovers stressed on the need to save the trees that create a “continuous green belt between the university and the ridge”, a forested area.

Concerned that the “disastrous” decision would have an impact on the ecological habitat sheltering diverse bird species, the students and teachers said the campus would not “be the same without these trees”.

Brushing aside assurances that compensatory afforestration and transplantation would be ensured, they argued that “young saplings planted elsewhere cannot compensate for neighbourhood trees of great age, beauty and diversity”.

Nor can they resettle displaced birds, they said in a letter signed by students and staff of the institute of economic growth, department of economic and sociology, Delhi School of Economics and others.

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