NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been informed by the environment department of the Uttar Pradesh government that over 1.12 lakh trees will be felled in the protected forest area to make way for the upcoming Kanwar Yatra route. This decision has sparked significant environmental concerns.
The NGT had sought a response from the state’s environment department regarding the felling of more than 1 lakh trees and shrubs in the protected forest area. The affected area spans across three forest divisions: Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Muzaffarnagar, covering the proposed route between Muradnagar in Ghaziabad and Purkaji in Muzaffarnagar.
ALSO READ: Diljit Dosanjh’s PR Team: Managing Controversies, Public Support
In a reply dated November 19, the UP principal secretary of the Department of Environment stated, “The Public Works Department (PWD) received permission to cut 1,12,722 trees/plants for the Kanwar Marg project, as approved by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on February 28, 2023.” The reply further mentioned that 25,410 trees had been marked for felling, and 17,607 trees were already cut by the PWD under the supervision of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Corporation.
However, the tree-cutting work has been suspended by the PWD since August 9, 2024, and tree felling in certain stretches of the proposed alignment has not commenced. The NGT had asked the secretary to enumerate the number of trees under the UP Tree Protection Act provisions. The reply stated that such an enumeration was not possible in the stretches where tree cutting was completed, as plants and bushes were also cleared during the drive.
ALSO READ: Over 145 monkeys die in Hathras FCI godown tragedy
The reply added, “In the future, once PWD finalizes a revised road alignment with a width of 15-20 meters, joint inspections will identify and enumerate any remaining trees to be felled. However, the total number of affected trees/plants should not exceed 1,12,722.”
The UP Tree Act provisions do not apply to reserved and protected forest land. The land used for the Kanwar Marg construction is a protected forest, and the implementing agency has obtained in-principle approval from the Government of India for the project. Thus, the enumeration of trees as per the UP Tree Act 1976 was not carried out.
Regarding the definition of trees, the reply cited the Centre’s Parivesh Portal, which categorizes trees based on girth size and includes provisions for counting smaller plants and trees with a girth between zero and 30 cm. This ensures a comprehensive accounting of all relevant vegetation.