344 trees to make way for key road expansion project in Gurgaon, greens fume
This comes amid concerns that no concrete plan for afforestation — typically requiring 10 times the number of trees felled — has been announced yet even as environmentalists are livid at the "shrinking green cover in the city". Environment activist Vaishali Rana said, "Permissions were granted to cut down trees, but an afforestation plan has not been submitted to carry out ten times plantation."
According to the Forest Survey of India (FSI) report 2023, Haryana's forest cover decreased by 14sqkm from 2021 to 2023, with Gurgaon's tree cover at 12.9% of its geographical area.
The FSI report 2021 pointed out that Haryana's forest cover increased by 1sqkm in 2021 compared to 2019. Gurgaon lost 2.5sqkm of forest cover between Oct 2019 and Feb 2020.
At the same time, urban clusters such as Gurgaon and Faridabad have rapidly grown to make space for houses, businesses, roads and other infrastructure.
For instance, 5,000 trees were felled to make way for flyovers and underpasses on NH8 in Gurgaon in 2017, and a year later, permission was granted to chop down 10,000 trees to widen the Sohna road.
Residents and environmentalists have voiced their frustration over the lack of transparency regarding replantation efforts. Residents warn that the loss of these trees will exacerbate air pollution and heat levels in the city.
Residents are now urging GMDA to publicly disclose its afforestation strategy and ensure that the city's green cover is restored. Without immediate action, the city risks losing more of its natural shade and worsening environmental conditions.
A GMDA official said, "We will identify land soon and carry out afforestation." When asked why they haven't done compensatory plantation, the official said, "We were not aware."
Prashant Yadav, a resident of Sushant Lok, said, "We are already struggling with rising temperatures and deteriorating air quality. Cutting down trees without a proper replantation plan is irresponsible."
City-based environmentalist Vivek Kamboj said, "The govt has made no efforts to increase the city's green cover over the years and now it again has given a free hand to incompetent civic agencies to fell trees for unnecessary road expansion."
"In the stretch where GMDA is planning expansion, the stretch has already reached its ultimate capacity and now felling more than 20-30 years of trees doesn't make sense. Also, the road cannot be expanded at certain stretches because there is already construction, so what is the point of the exercise," Kamboj said.
As per the permission letter, the conditions which GMDA needs to fulfil to fell 344 trees are: "Only the numbered trees will be felled.
No dragging of wood will be permitted. Felling after sunset and before sunrise will not be permitted. No fire will be allowed."
The letter says, "No damage to unmarked trees will be caused during felling in the area and the owner will have to pay the compensation as determined by DFO for any such damage. The owner of the land shall be responsible for any illicit felling in the area and he will have to pay the compensation as determined by DFO for any such illicit felling. Approved subject to compensatory plantation of ten times the number of trees to be felled by the agency.
" It is also notable that unlike Delhi, Haryana does not have a Tree Act of its own.
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