Over 7,700 trees felled for Delhi-Dehradun expressway project: Nitin Gadkari
Premium- A total of 7,747 trees and 3,258 saplings have been cut down in Shivalik forest division for Delhi-Dehradun expressway project
As many as 7,747 trees were cut and 3,258 saplings were felled for the Delhi-Dehradun expressway project, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
"A total of 7,747 trees and 3,258 saplings have been cut down in Shivalik forest division for Delhi-Dehradun expressway project from Ganeshpur to Dehradun. None of these trees were within the boundary of Rajaji National Park," Gadkari replied.
Further, the minister said that around 1.76 lakh trees will be planted as per the Compensatory Afforestation scheme prepared by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Forest Departments. The cabinet minister said that ₹844 lakhs have been allocated to highway authorities of the two states as compensation. In addition to this, the NHAI has trans-located 155 trees.
"An amount of Rs. 844.13 Lakhs have been deposited by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand Forest Departments towards Compensatory Afforestation and Net Present Value," the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways said in a statement.
So far 55.10 lakh trees have been planted in 94 projects, completed by March 2021, it added.
Separately, the Supreme Court this week refused to stay the felling of eucalyptus trees for the proposed widening of Sahastradhara road in Dehradun but allowed the petition to be mentioned before the High Court for an urgent hearing on the issue.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Sudhanshu Dhulia rejected the prayer made by senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, appearing for activist Ashish Kumar Garg that tree felling is stayed for at least a week, till the time Uttarakhand High Court takes up the issue.
Parikh said that tree felling is already being done there and if the process is not stayed, by the time the High Court takes up the matter, nothing will be left.
The bench said that it cannot stay in the tree-felling directions without hearing the counsel for the State.
It said that the High Court, acting on the premise that "it is well-known that eucalyptus trees have an adverse effect on soil conservation and soil texture", and on the water table, modified the interim order to permit the felling of eucalyptus trees.
The bench noted that the High Court observed that while the widening of the road would continue, out of 2057 trees that were proposed to be felled, 1006 eucalyptus trees were allowed to be felled by the authorities.
"As far as 79 trees are concerned, the High Court observed that they shall remain and shall not be cut or harmed. 972 trees, which included fruit-bearing trees, were directed to be transplanted. Certain additional directions have been granted for afforestation", the bench noted.
It said that the High Court has also directed that the first report would be submitted in the second week of December 2022 and the proceedings have been listed after six months of awaiting the report of the concerned authorities.
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