What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) recent directive to reassess the environmental impact of the Kanwar Marg project underscores a critical issue in India’s development narrative: the delicate balance between infrastructure growth and environmental conservation. The tribunal’s order for a fresh report based on satellite images to ascertain the extent of tree felling beyond the permitted road width of 15 meters is a commendable step towards ensuring transparency and accountability in large-scale projects.
The Kanwar Marg project, the Upper Ganga Canal Road Project, aims to enhance connectivity across Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Muzaffarnagar. However, the environmental cost of this development cannot be overlooked. The project requires 222.98 hectares of protected forest land, and the felling of over 33,000 trees has raised significant concerns. The NGT’s insistence on a detailed affidavit from the Uttar Pradesh government to clarify the number of trees to be felled and whether the enumeration adheres to the UP Protection of Trees Act, 1976, is crucial. This move ensures the project complies with legal standards and minimizes unnecessary environmental degradation.
The tribunal’s decision to utilize satellite images and drone surveys to monitor tree felling is progressive. The initial report from the Survey of India, which compared satellite images from 2023 with drone images taken in October, failed to provide clear conclusions due to differences in scale and resolution. This highlights the challenges in using technology for environmental monitoring and underscores its potential. Accurate and high-resolution data are essential for making informed decisions and ensuring that development projects do not exceed their environmental limits.
Advocate Akash Vashishtha’s argument about the hydrological importance of the trees along the Upper Ganga canal adds another layer to the environmental concerns. The canal is vital for the region’s agriculture, particularly the potato farming belt of Uttar Pradesh. The loss of tree cover could adversely affect groundwater levels and biodiversity, leading to long-term ecological imbalances. The NGT’s directive to consider these factors in the joint committee’s report is a step in the right direction.
