Kanwar Marg: NGT tells panel to probe green aspects of road

The project, which was green-lit by the Uttar Pradesh forest department in January, will lead to the felling of around 112,000 trees and shrubs in the protected forest area of three forest divisions

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered that an expert committee investigate the various environmental aspects of the proposed 111-km Upper Ganga Canal Road project – also known as the Kanwar Marg project – from Muradnagar in Ghaziabad to Purkaji near the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border.

NGT registered a suo motu petition and on March 13 impleaded officials from UP and Uttarakhand as respondents. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The project, which was green-lit by the Uttar Pradesh forest department in January, will lead to the felling of around 112,000 trees and shrubs in the protected forest area of three forest divisions — Ghaziabad, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar.

HT, on February 1, highlighted concerns by environmental activists, who warned that felling such a large number of trees will adversely impact the region’s biodiversity, and displace the local wildlife. They also noted that Ghaziabad in particular suffers from high pollution levels, and felling such a large number of trees will only worsen the situation.

On the basis of the HT report, NGT registered a suo motu petition and on March 13 impleaded officials from UP and Uttarakhand as respondents.

During the latest hearing in the case on August 9, the tribunal directed that an expert committee probe environmental aspects of the projects, with the panel to comprise the Forest Survey of India director, a Union environment ministry senior scientist, and the UP chief secretary or his representative. The tribunal directed that the Meerut district magistrate be the coordinating agency.

“The Committee will visit the site, ascertain the allegation in respect of illegal felling of trees and will also ascertain if the figures relating to felling of trees till now as disclosed before the tribunal are correct or the trees in excess of those have been cut. The Committee will also ascertain the width of the stretch which has been cleared by cutting the trees at different places at an interval of 5 km,” NGT said in its order, which was uploaded on its website on August 12.

The tribunal also directed the committee to ascertain “the extent of environmental damage on account of construction of the road”, and to ascertain the feasibility of the proposed road, and if the alternate route exists and “without unnecessary felling of trees some solution can be find out”.

The tribunal has directed the committee to complete the entire exercise within a period of four weeks and submit a report.

Sanjay Singh, the executive engineer and nodal officer for the project, did not respond to calls for queries on the development.

The Upper Ganga Canal Road at present has two lanes that run parallel to the water body along the eastern embankment. The new project, officials said, will run along the western embankment of the canal.

The ₹658-crore project is to be taken up by the UP Public Works Department (PWD), and will be funded by the state government. This road, officials said, will serve as a bypass for light vehicles, and will be an alternate route for kanwariyas travelling to and from Haridwar during the annual kanwar yatra.

NGT, during earlier hearings on July 8 and July 25, had directed the Survey of India to file the satellite image of the stretch under consideration for the project, showing the extent of trees which have been cut on both sides of the canal. UP officials had previously on May 20 stated before the green court that 33,776 trees were to be felled for the project, while the rest were shrubs.

In its fresh order, NGT said, “The communication from the Tribunal was sent to the Survey of India but till now, the report has not been filed. Hence, we implead the following as respondent in this OA. Let notice be issued to the above newly added responded, i.e. Surveyor General of Survey of India. The Surveyor General of Survey of India is directed to remain present virtually before the tribunal on the next date of hearing explaining the reason for noncompliance of the order and also to apprise us with the satellite image of the stretch in question.”

Additional solicitor general KM Nataraj, appearing for the government, submitted that out of 33,776 trees, 17,450 have been cut till now.

Environment lawyer Akash Vashishtha, appearing for interveners from Ghaziabad, submitted a 2010 report which highlighted that an earlier proposal by the then UP government for the construction of an eight-lane expressway along the same stretch was junked after a report filed by the then deputy conservator of forests (central).

The 2010 report also said that two roads — NH-58 (under the old numbering scheme, which used to connect Ghaziabad, Meerut and Uttarakhand) and Kanwar Marg are also under improvement by way of widening, and once done, this would regularise traffic, and another road/expressway may not be required.

Citing this report, NGT in its August 9 hearing said, “Therefore, it is also required to be shown if the feasibility of constructing the present road in the light of the earlier observations in the report of 2010 was duly examined.”