The National Green Tribunal (NGT) bench in a significant move has instructed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to transfer a sum of Rs 230.41 million to the forest department. The funds are to be utilized for conducting afforestation to compensate for the trees that were uprooted during the construction of the Pune-Nashik highway.
Forest Department to Oversee Afforestation
The NGT emphasized the importance of compensatory plantation and ordered the NHAI to transfer the funds into the forest department’s account within one month of the directive issued on Feb 12. The tribunal further urged forest officials to verify the receipt of the aforementioned amount by the upcoming hearing on April 10. This ruling comes as a result of a case filed by environmental activist Ganesh Borhade in 2020, who brought to light the failure of NHAI to fulfill its obligation of replanting trees after felling them during highway construction. According to Borhade, the NHAI claimed to have taken the necessary steps in response to an RTI query, but subsequent investigation revealed that no substantial efforts were made to carry out the compensatory afforestation. He asserted, “Hence, I approached the NGT four years ago. A total of 2,373 trees were felled on the highway stretch in Sangamner alone, and the number for the entire highway is even larger.”
Compensatory Afforestation in Pune, Ahmednagar, and Nashik
In its ruling, the NGT has instructed concerned officials to plant 10 trees for each tree felled during the construction process. The compensatory afforestation will be carried out by the state social forestry department in districts spanning Pune, Ahmednagar, and Nashik, through which the highway passes. Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Vivek Khandekar, revealed that the plantation work would commence simultaneously in all three divisions upon receipt of the funds. He also highlighted the provision for irrigation, ensuring the proper nourishment of the trees until the arrival of the monsoon season.
Apart from addressing the matter of compensatory afforestation, the petitioner in this case also raised concerns about the lack of construction related to wildlife crossings on the highway. With leopards being frequently spotted in this area, there have been multiple accidents due to the absence of underpasses and overpasses. Consequently, the NGT has now directed the forest department to provide sketches depicting dimensions and specifications for these underpasses, along with the guidelines previously agreed upon with NHAI.
Preserving India’s Ecosystems
This order by the NGT further emphasizes the growing importance of ecological preservation, especially in cases of large-scale infrastructural developments. By promoting compensatory afforestation and the implementation of adequate measures for wildlife conservation, the tribunal seeks to strike a balance between progress and protecting the environment.
