Gurugram Metro’s compensatory plantation shifted from Kadarpur to KMP E-way

No bidders came forward for rocky Kadarpur site; forest department to execute plantation project under new tender funded by GMRL as part of Metro Phase I work.

The compensatory afforestation planned for the Gurugram Metro construction will now be undertaken along the Kundli–Manesar–Palwal (KMP) Expressway instead of the earlier proposed site at Kadarpur, officials said on Monday. The decision was taken after the forest department found the land allotted at Kadarpur unsuitable for plantation due to its rocky terrain. 

Forest dept. found Kadarpur terrain unsuitable; new plan includes 16 native species, with five-year maintenance funded by GMRL under ₹3.5cr project. (HT Archive)

A senior forest department official said the Metro implementing agency, Gurugram Metro Rail Limited (GMRL), had earlier been allotted land in Kadarpur by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) for compensatory afforestation. “The land made available in Kadarpur was rocky and was not suitable for plantation, following which it was decided to take up plantation along the KMP Expressway. A tender for the project will be floated soon,” the official said. 

According to GMRL officials, the agency has obtained permission to fell 1,801 trees for the construction of Phase I of the Gurugram Metro Rail project. In lieu of that, it will plant over 18,000 trees as part of compensatory afforestation. The Haryana Forest Development Corporation (HFDC) has been given the mandate to execute the plantation project, and GMRL has agreed to provide the funds for it. 

A GMRL official confirmed the change of site. “The site for plantation has been changed,” he said, adding that GMRL will spend ₹3.5 crore on planting and maintaining these trees for the next five years. 

Forest officials said that the rocky terrain at the Kadarpur site made the plantation work difficult, and no contractor had come forward despite tenders being floated three times for the project. “It has been decided to plant the trees along the KMP Expressway and a tender for the project will be floated soon. The plantation of trees in Kadarpur was not found to be feasible so the site has been changed,” said a senior forest department official. 

According to HFDC’s earlier tender document, the plantation was to include 16 different species such as Peepal, Bargad, Neem, Gular, Pilkhan, Amaltas, Tamarind, Bael Pathar, Kala Siris, Safed Siris, Khirni, Desi Kadam, Dhak, Mulberry, Jamun, and Lasooda. The contractor was required to plant and maintain the trees for five years, including fertilization, application of insecticide, watering, weeding, pruning, hoeing, and plant protection. The tender had also specified a detailed watering schedule for the plants over the maintenance period. 

The compensatory afforestation plan is part of the broader Gurugram Metro Phase I project, which involves felling and transplanting trees along the construction corridor. The forest department and HFDC are expected to coordinate the plantation timeline once the new tender is finalised.