Environmentalists want new saplings to be planted within Gurugram

Nearly 25,000 trees have already been felled in the past five years in Gurugram for various infrastructure projects including flyovers and underpasses at the Delhi-Gurugram expressway.

In view of the plans to axe a large number of trees for various road projects in the city, environmental activists have written to the forest department, asking it to plant new saplings under the ‘compensatory afforestation’ programme within the limits of the city and not outside it . Presently, there is no provision as such in the forest rule book, which is why officials often choose far-off areas to plant new saplings.

MCG felled trees at Bal Bhawan in Sector 4, Gurugram , to make way for a new auditorium. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Haryana PWD is to supposed fell 1,300 trees to construct an underpass and a flyover at Atul Kataria Chowk. The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MOEF) has earmarked a piece of land for afforestation at Kasan, about 25 km from the city. The NHAI is also supposed to fell 10,000 trees in order to widen Sohna Road, but the plantation is to happen in Mewat, about 70 km from the city.

A non-government organisation named Hariyali has written to the forest department asking it to include such a provision in the rule book to ensure a proper balance between deforestation and afforestation.

“Massive deforestation drive is underway in the city. The MOEF granted the permission to fell 10,000 trees on Sohna Road, followed by 1,300 more at Atul Kataria Chowk. The authorities have decided to plant new spalings in Mewat, about 70km from the city, in lieu of this felling. We demand that forest officials plant new saplings within the city limits,” said founder director of Hariyali, Vivek Kamboj.

An NGO based in New Delhi, Chetna, has launched an online awareness campaign to save the environment in the Delhi-ncr region under the banner of the ‘Chipko movement’.

Anil Sood, founder director of Chetna, said, “Due to the massive deforestation drive in the country, we are facing nature’s wrath. Bureaucratic bungling at all levels is responsible for this. In order to garner support to the cause of “Protection of Trees” we have activated a missed call campaign ‘Chipko Delhi/NCR’.”

Deepak Nanda, district forest officer Gurugram, said, “In absence of land, we chose areas far off from the city.”

Nearly 25,000 trees have already been felled in the past five years in the city for various infrastructure projects including flyovers and underpasses at the Delhi-Gurugram expressway.

SS Oberoi, a resident of Uniworld Garden on Sohna Road, said, “Blind felling of trees has adversely affected the environment in the city and led to excessive deforestation and minimum afforestation. This should be checked at the earliest to protect the cover forest.”