Victory for Bhopal tree lovers: Proposed re-densification plan on land of 1250 Quarters cancelled

The Commissioner of Madhya Pradesh Housing and Infrastructure Development Board has issued an order on Monday and cancelled the proposed re-densification plan on the land of 1250 quarters located in Bhopal. After the cancellation of the proposal, the alternative site will be examined. This about 29000 trees have been save from being cut. These trees were going to be cut for 

As per the order issued on Monday, keeping in view the environmental protection and the existing trees in the area, the proposed project has been rejected after thorough consideration. Along with this, instructions have been given to test other alternative locations. While preparing the alternative proposal, instructions have been given to have extensive discussions with environmentalists, local public representatives and citizens at the initial stage itself.

Keeping in view the shortage of employee housing, the plan prepared under the Re-densification Policy 2022 to prepare a preliminary project in place of dilapidated and unusable houses of 1250 quarters Bhopal and presented at the government level has been cancelled.

Hundreds of Bhopal residents had joined hands to save trees

For the past nearly 10 days, hundreds of Bhopal residents had joined hands to save over 29,000 trees that they fear would be chopped to make space for VVIP bungalows in the city. Many of them tied threads to the trees in protests akin to the ‘Chipko Andolan’.

Citizens, students, and green activists came together against what they call a plan by the MP Housing Board to construct bungalows for MLAs and bureaucrats by clearing trees at Shivaji Nagar and Tulsi Nagar, one of the greenest patches in the city.

Many of them, including women and a BJP MLA, worshipped and clung to trees vowing to protect them.