NBCC Ups Contractor Liability To Plant And Maintain Trees At Project Sites

Stipulates planting 5 tree for every Rs 1 crore value of a contract

New Delhi, 27^th Aug 2018: Navratna public sector undertaking NBCC (India) Limited has issued revised General Conditions of Contract (GCC) making it mandatory for contractors to plant 5 trees for each Rs 1 crore value for projects having estimated cost upto Rs 100 Crore.

For projects valuing between Rs 100 crore and 300 crore, the contractors will now have to plant and maintain 500 trees plus 2 trees for each Rs.1 crore value above Rs 100 crore. Similarly, for projects valued at over Rs. 300 crore, the contractors will have to plant and maintain 1,000 trees plus 1 tree for each Rs.1 Crore value above Rs. 300 crores.

“The contractor at his own cost will plant at least 5-feet-high trees of different varieties at the project site, or in any specified area within the radius of 20 kms if the space is not available at the project site. This will be with the approval of engineer in charge, within six months from handing over of site to the contractor by NBCC,” the company has notified vide a circular.

Speaking on the development, Dr. Anoop Kumar Mittal, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of NBCC said, “We are an environment-conscious corporate and sustainable development is our constant endeavour. In our ongoing green initiative, we have conducted plantation drives at all our project sites and planted 23,865 trees this monsoon season.”

The earlier NBCC conditions stipulated planting of 50 trees for projects valued between Rs 25 crore and 100 crore, 100 trees for projects valued between Rs 100 crore and 300 crore, and 200 trees for projects valued above Rs 300 crore.

Dr Mittal said, “NBCC incorporates Green Building features, using processes and materials that are environmentally-responsible and resource-efficient – right from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition.”

“We are reskilling our manpower to minimise dust pollution and ensure zero discharge of waste by recycling water, solid waste and demolition waste as our contribution towards creating clean and green infrastructure,” he added.