More than 7,500 Trees Removed For A 16-Km Stretch Of The Delhi-Dehradun Motorway: RTI

Noida: The National Highways Authority of India reports that 7,575 trees have been cut down on a roughly 16-kilometer stretch of the Delhi-Dehradun Motorway, and that over 1.76 lakh new trees would be planted as a result.

In response to a request for information made in accordance with the requirements of the Right To Information (RTI) Act, the NHAI stated that 2,592 of the fallen trees on the Ganeshpur-Dehradun segment of the project were in Uttar Pradesh and 4,983 were in Uttarakhand.

Amit Gupta, a social activist from Noida, also asked for the survival and replanting condition of the trees on the 15.8-kilometer Delhi-Dehradun Motorway segment in his RTI request.

The public relations officer turned project director, Pankaj Kumar Mourya, responded by saying that 121 of the 155 trees that were moved in Uttar Pradesh survived the move.

The NHAI said that 1,76,050 trees have to be planted by the forest departments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in accordance with the compensatory afforestation programme they submitted, in order to make up for the destruction of 7,575 trees.

"Total ₹ 3,60,69,780 have been paid against compensatory afforestation to forest departments of UP and Uttarakhand by the NHAI," it stated.

The Delhi-Dehradun Greenfield Access Controlled Motorway, a 212 km long, six-lane road, is being constructed at an estimated cost of 12,000 crore, according to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

The entire corridor has been constructed with several unique features. For the protection of wildlife, the Ganeshpur to Dehradun route has been maintained in these. A 12-kilometer elevated road, six animal underpasses, two elephant underpasses, two large bridges, and thirteen minor bridges are provided, according to the MoRTH.

"The entire motorway is also being built with 113 VUPs (vehicular under passes), LVUPs (light vehicular under passes), SVUPs (small vehicular under passes), 5 ROBs, 4 significant bridges and 62 bus shelters. In addition, 16 entry-exit locations, a 29-kilometer elevated road, and a 76-kilometer service road are being built," it stated. PTI KIS RHL