Huda starts axing 256 trees to widen Sector 17/18 road

A number of trees were axed on the Sector 17/18 road by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) on Tuesday to widen the stretch.

A number of trees were axed on the Sector 17/18 road by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) on Tuesday to widen the stretch.

The axing of trees began on Tuesday after the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon gave a green signal to Huda. (Abhinav Saha/HT Photo)

The move comes after the forest department finally gave a nod to Huda to hack 256 trees on the roadside.

Huda, to reduce congestion, plans to rebuild and expand the 2.2-kilometre road that connects Iffco Chowk and Old Delhi-Gurgaon road. The total cost of the project is `5.9 crore.

“The forest department is aware about the tree felling on the Sector 17/18 stretch. The permission was given to Huda after the department reviewed their plan of conservatory aforestation,” said Vasvi Tyagi, district forest officer (DFO).

In the plan submitted to the forest department on May 16, the authority has promised to compensate the tree felling by planting ten times the total trees cut. Saplings will be planted around Chandu Budhera water treatment plant, around 20 kilometres from Gurgaon.

“The authority will be planting the saplings in the monsoon season so plants can easily grow. The forest department is making sure that the bodies seeking permission to axe trees are compensating for the same,” Tyagi said.

Environmentalists, however, said that the loss of trees cannot be compensated even after a couple of years. They said that the forest department should take strict action to avoid tree felling in the city where pollution levels have reached dangerous levels.

“Iffco Chowk is one of the most polluted areas in Gurgaon. Trees are important around the junction. They help purify air. There is no point of planting trees far from the city,” said Vivek Kambhoj, a city-based environmentalist.

Chetan Agarwal, another environmentalist, said that tree felling will expose the residents and commuters to even more pollution and toxins.

“Green belts should not be used for road extension but as purifiers. The department should not have allowed Huda to cut trees at a high traffic junction,” said Chetan Agarwal.