NHAI justifies tree felling that led to bird deaths in Kerala, says not malafide

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has called the tree felling incident in Kerala’s Malappuram, where bird nests were destroyed and hatchlings killed, an unfortunate mistake that was not committed with any “personal/malafide intentions.” The NHAI made this remark in an email addressed to Thomas Lawrence, CEO of Save Wetlands International Movement (SWIM).

On August 1, 2022, a tree filled with heron nests was felled as part of NH 66 development works at Randathani, in Malappuram. Videos of the incident, which later went viral, showed adult birds flying to safety as an earthmover pushed the tree down. However, several young hatchlings were killed and nests with eggs were destroyed. There was public outcry against the move, as environmentalists and birdwatchers argued that the tree felling should have been delayed at least till the current breeding season was over.

In the light of the incident, Lawrence had written to the Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, stressing on the need to let young birds mature to protect the species. His email had sought the Minister’s prompt intervention in the matter as it is understood that more trees will be felled in this area in the coming days. It was to this and other repeated submissions to the Ministry and NHAI that the latter responded on October 10.

In the email, the NHAI claimed that the proposal to cut trees for NH 66 development had been examined by the local self government heads, the District Level Tree Committee and environmentalists engaged by the Kerala government. The Panchayat presidents of Chelambra, Thenjipalam, Perumanna, Pallikal, Kalady and Municipal chairmans of Kottakkal, Tirurangadi and Ponnani, under whose jurisdictions the trees numbering 1,491 to be cut were located, examined the proposal. M/s KNR Ramanattukara Infra Private Limited was the concessionaire who was awarded the tree cutting works.

The email, however, called the “mistake” legal, as the cutting of the tree was approved and the concessionaire had acted in coordination with the Forest Department and the Competent Authority for Land Acquisition (CALA) team. It also added that this was the first time the concessionaire had committed such a “mistake”.

Lawrence has written to the NHAI once again to request that standard operating procedures (SOP) followed in other countries for bird nest encounters during road construction or any other developmental works. He cited the SOP issued by the Canadian province of British Columbia that requires workers to “stop work in the vicinity and immediately report” to authorities if they encounter an active bird nest or a large stick nest. “Large stick nests may be re-used by birds from year to year and are to be protected, even if they are not currently occupied,” it said. The SOP further recommends ceasing “disturbances in the nesting area until the young have permanently left the nest.”

Lawrence said that he has sent a copy of the same to the NHAI in the hope that it would incorporate such precautionary measures while undertaking road development projects in the future.