Kanwar Marg road project: NGT seeks extent of tree cover lost

NGT took suo motu cognizance of an HT report titled “UP gives permission to fell 112,000 trees for road along Upper Ganga Canal” and sought responses from UP and Uttarakhand

Ghaziabad: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Survey of India to submit its report and findings about the extent of green cover lost in last one year in the area covered under the 111km-long Upper Ganga Canal road project, taken up by Uttar Pradesh government from Muradnagar in Ghaziabad to near Purkazi town, Muzzaffarnagar.

Environmentalists have claimed that the massive felling would severely impact the environment and the natural wildlife habitat in the region. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The road stretch is popularly known as Kanwar Marg road.

The tribunal took suo motu cognizance of an HT report titled “UP gives permission to fell 112,000 trees for road along Upper Ganga Canal” of February 1, and sought responses from the states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

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

“The Surveyor General of Survey of India in the report will give its findings relating to the extent of tree cover lost within the last one year in the area concerned and if possible, the number of trees which have been cut within this period,” the tribunal said in its October 4 order uploaded on Tuesday.

The proposed project, also known as the Kanwar Marg project, spans from Muradnagar in Ghaziabad to Purkazi near the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border. It is proposed to involve felling of 112,722 trees/shrubs in three forest divisions of Ghaziabad, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar.

The surveyor general of Survey of India submitted a report before the tribunal, stating: “That Survey of India has the satellite data of 2018 of the particular region, which has already been filed… Now in compliance to the Hon’ble tribunal’s order to show the extent of trees which have been cut on both sides of the canal, this office contacted National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad for obtaining latest satellite imagery of the year 2024 of the area under consideration for comparing it with satellite imagery of year 2018 available with this office.”

The report further stated that the latest satellite imagery of 2023 was available on NRSC’s portal and the office (Survey of India) downloaded the latest satellite imagery of year 2023 from Bhoonidhi portal of National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad.

“On visual comparison of the satellite imagery of 2018 and satellite imagery of 2023, the extent of cutting of trees was not identifiable as both the imagery seems to be of the period prior to cutting/felling of tree in these stretches. The latest satellite imagery after cutting of trees is not available on Bhoonidhi portal of NRSC, Hyderabad,” the report added.

Upon this, the tribunal said that the Surveyor General of Survey of India has stated that Survey of India can conduct aerial survey using UAV/Drone to generate orthorectified images (processed to accurately georeference images) of the area to capture the present ground situation and to identify the extent of trees cut on both sides of the canal and this exercise can be completed within a period of 30 days.

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

During the hearing, KM Nataraj, additional solicitor general appearing for the state of UP, said that a drone survey was done by the state authorities and the tribunal permitted him to place on record the images.

“He has stated that the state will abide by the statement made on September 20, 2024 that no felling of the trees will take place till the next date of hearing and has made a request to give a short date,” the tribunal said and finalised the next date of hearing for November 6.