Jharkhand HC Stays Felling Of 13,681 Trees For Chatra Bypass Project

(MENAFN- IANS) Ranchi, Sep 3 (IANS) The Jharkhand High Court has stayed, until further orders, the cutting of 13,681 fully grown trees identified for the construction of the proposed Chatra bypass road, observing that such large-scale felling would cause serious damage to the environment and the ecosystem.

The court also allowed the concerned agencies to reconsider altering the road alignment to save the trees.

The order was passed on Thursday by a bench of Justice Anand Sen while hearing a petition filed by Suresh Sao.

During the hearing, the state government informed the court that, according to a report submitted by the Executive Engineer of the Hazaribagh NH Division, a total of 13,681 trees, including those located in forest areas, would have to be cut under the existing alignment plan. All of them are fully grown trees.

Expressing serious concern over the scale of tree felling, the court observed that the environmental damage caused by cutting mature trees cannot be adequately compensated merely by planting new saplings.

In view of this, it ordered an immediate halt to the proposed tree cutting.

The High Court also directed that the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways be impleaded as respondents in the case. Both ministries have been asked to file their counter affidavits within six weeks.

Additional Solicitor General (ASGI) Prashant Pallav, appearing for the Central government, accepted the court notice.

The court further granted liberty to the concerned agencies to review the existing alignment of the bypass and, if necessary, explore the possibility of realignment.

The objective, it said, should be to meet road connectivity requirements while preserving as many mature trees as possible.

The proposed bypass is intended to connect Chatra town with NH-99 (new NH-22) and NH-100 (new NH-522). The petitioner has sought a change in the current alignment, contending that such a modification would save nearly 300 mature trees standing on his land.

During an earlier hearing, the High Court had directed the authorities to conduct a site inspection and submit a report indicating the number of trees that would be affected according to the existing alignment and whether changes in the route could help save them.

The court had also imposed an interim stay on road construction activities in the area until the report was submitted.

Following the government's report confirming that 13,681 fully grown trees would have to be felled, the court has continued the stay on tree cutting.

Further proceedings in the matter will depend on the response of the Union ministries and the outcome of the review of the alignment plan.

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