Central Vista project: Environmentalists call fresh GoI proposal arbitrary, piecemeal

By A Representative
A uniform letter, sent by a large number of environmental experts from across India to T Haque, chairman, Experts Assessment Commission (EAC) under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India (GoI), has expressed shock over the submission of a fresh revised proposal on the Central Vista project in Delhi for approval, calling the move “arbitrarily”.
Titled “Development/ Redevelopment Of Common Central Secretariat Buildings and Central Conference Centre Along With Prime Minister’s Residence, SPG Building and Vice President’s Enclave, New Delhi”, the new proposal was submitted to AEC on December 17.
Stating that the proposal appears to “completely undermine” pending challenges in the Supreme Court against the project proponents – Central Public Work Department (CPWD) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs ( MoHUA) – the letter regretted, similar submissions were made in the past also “failed to disclose all the components of the project.”
“We appreciate the fact that EAC had taken a strong and considered position during the last meeting when the project had been returned to the project proponent indicating that they should not follow a ‘piecemeal approach’ and revert with an ‘integrated project’. We would like to point out that this proposal is still ‘piecemeal’ and not integrated”, the letter – forwarded to Counterview by one of the signatories, Gujarat-based environmentalist Rohit Prajapati – said.
Pointing towards how CPWD and MoHUA have refused to disclose all the components of the project in the past, the letter said, the December 9 proposal “arbitrability removed the Prime Minister’s Office i.e. Plot 36 from the proposal” without giving any explanation on why they were doing this. Further, the December 9 proposal “reduced built-up area of 17,21,500 sqm as against 18,37,057.35 sqm “without any disclosure of why and how the project consultants and the project proponents have introduced these changes.”
Further, the December 9 proposal refused to include the mew Parliament building, the new India Garden, the underground transit, all of which have been reported in the media to be part of the Central Vista redevelopment. “These standalone components will either not be placed before the environment ministry or introduced at a later stage once again indicating a piecemeal approach as has been rightly observed by the EAC”, the letter said.
Ironically, said the letter, “While the government has decreased the built-up area the cost of the project has increased from INR 11,794 crore in November 2020 to INR 13,450 crore in the present proposal.”
Accusing of the government of turning the project proposal to EAC into “mockery in full public view”, the letter said, “The proposal is being pushed through with utter disregard of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification and continues to challenge the mandate of the EAC for detailed scrutiny. The application clearly gives the impression that that the project proponent is not aware that they are applying for an environmental approval and not for a building approval.”
Asking EAC to “exercise its authority and responsibility to seek full disclosure from the project proponent regarding the various components”, the letter insisted, only when this is done, it should issue terms of reference for the project proponents.

Comments

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup* I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge — Blurring the line between fiction and political narrative

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* "Dhurandhar: The Revenge" does not wait to be remembered; it arrives almost on the heels of its predecessor, released on March 19, 2026, just months after the first film’s December 2025 debut. The speed of its arrival feels less like creative urgency and more like calculated timing—cinema responding not to storytelling rhythm but to the emotional climate of its audience. Director Aditya Dhar, along with actor Yami Gautam, appears acutely aware of this moment and how to harness it.

BJP accounts for 99% of political donations in Gujarat: Corporate giants dominate

By Jag Jivan An analysis of the official data on donations received by national parties from Gujarat during the Financial Year 2024-25 reveals a staggering concentration of funding, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounting for nearly the entirety of the contributions. The data, compiled in a document titled "National Parties donations received from Gujarat during FY-2024-25," lists thousands of transactions, painting a detailed picture of the financial backing for political parties from one of India’s most industrially significant states.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

Captains extraordinaire: Ranking cricket’s most influential skippers

By Harsh Thakor* Ranking the greatest cricket captains is a subjective exercise, often sparking passionate debate among fans. The following list is not merely a tally of wins and losses; it is an assessment of leadership’s deeper impact. My criteria fuse a captain’s playing record with their tactical skill, placing the highest consideration on their ability to reshape a team’s fortunes and inspire those around them. A captain who inherited a dominant empire is judged differently from one who resurrected a nation’s cricket from the doldrums. With that in mind, here is my perspective on the finest leaders the game has ever seen.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

‘No merit’ in Chakraborty’s claims: Personal ethics talk sans details raises questions

By Jag Jivan A recent opinion piece published in The Quint by Subhash Chandra Garg has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank , with Garg stating that the exit “raises doubts about his own ‘ethics’.” Garg, currently Chief Policy Advisor at Subhanjali and former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, writes that the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) appears to find no substance in Chakraborty’s claims, noting, “It is clear the RBI sees no merit in Atanu Chakraborty’s wild and vague assertions.”

Search This Blog