Kanwar Marg: UP suspends tree-felling, expert panel seeks more time to submit report

The expert committee, formed on directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to probe different environmental aspects of the proposed 111km Upper Ganga Canal Road project, has sought three more months from the NGT to file the final report. The state government, meanwhile, informed the tribunal that the construction work on the road project has been suspended due to rains and “no felling of trees will take place till the next date of hearing”.

The proposed road project, also known as the Kanwar Marg project, spans 111km from Muradnagar in Ghaziabad to Purkaji near the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border.

The project is proposed to involve the felling of 112,722 trees/shrubs in three forest divisions of Ghaziabad, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar.

The environmentalists have claimed that the massive felling would severely impact environment and the natural wildlife habitat in the region.

The tribunal took suo motu cognizance of an HT report titled “UP gives permission to fell 112000 trees for road along Upper Ganga Canal” published on February 1 and sought responses from states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

During an earlier hearing on August 9, the tribunal directed for formation of an expert committee comprising the Forest Survey of India director, a Union environment ministry senior scientist, and the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary or his representative. The tribunal directed that the Meerut district magistrate be the coordinating agency and sought a report from the committee in four weeks.

The tribunal during hearing on August 9 directed that the expert-committee to visit the site, ascertain the allegation in respect of illegal felling of trees and also ascertain if the figures relating to felling of trees till now, as disclosed before the tribunal, is correct or if trees in excess of that number have been cut.

The tribunal directed the committee to ascertain “the extent of environmental damage on account of construction of the road”, and to ascertain whether an alternative route exists which would not require the felling of trees.

“The report of the joint committee is still awaited. There is no written request even by the joint committee seeking any extension or expressing any difficulty in filing the report… Learned additional advocate general (AAG) ... submits that in the interim report further three months have been sought for filing the final report,” the tribunal said in its latest order on September 20.

The tribunal in its order said that AAG, appearing for UP, has informed that on account of ongoing rains, the construction of Kanwar Road has been suspended.

“He has also stated that no felling of trees will take place till the next date of the hearing. His request to give a short date in the matter is allowed,” the tribunal order said.

When contacted, there was no immediate response from the office of the district magistrate, Meerut.

Sanjay Singh, executive engineer of the public works department and nodal officer for the project, also did not respond to calls.

The UP government had earlier told the green court that 33,776 trees were to be felled for the project, while the rest were shrubs.

The NGT, during earlier hearings, had directed the Survey of India to file the satellite image of the stretch under consideration for the project, showing the extent of trees cut on both sides of the canal.

The tribunal also impleaded Surveyor General, Survey of India, as respondent in the case.

“Neither the response has been filed by the Surveyor General, Survey of India, nor he is virtually present today in compliance of the above order. We have also not received any application from the Surveyor General, Survey of India, seeking exemption from virtual presence. Thus we impose the cost of Rs. 1/- (Rupee One) upon the Surveyor General, Survey of India for such conduct,” the NGT said further in the order.