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NGT Questions Assam on Highway Tree Cutting

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has raised concerns about potential withholding of critical information by the Assam government regarding the felling of thousands of trees for the expansion of the national highway from Guwahati to Goalpara.

The eastern zone bench of the NGT observed discrepancies in the government’s affidavit, filed on April 4, which cited a 2020 study by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Dehradun. This study, under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), aimed to document best practices and technologies for tree transplantation in infrastructure projects.

“It is also stated that the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, had carried out a study by collecting data from various states and submitted a report on tree translocation in India to the ministry. The said report has not been filed with this affidavit,” the NGT bench said.

The NGT bench noted the absence of a complete copy of the standard operating procedure (SOP) referenced in the affidavit. The affidavit provided only partial details of the SOP, without specifying its date or the signatory. Furthermore, crucial statistics about the number of trees that could be saved or reasons for those that could not were also omitted.

Initially taken up suo moto by the principal bench of the NGT after media reports highlighted the environmental impact of the project, the case was later transferred to the eastern bench. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) estimates that approximately 28,000 trees will be cut down for the 128-km expansion of NH-17 between Guwahati and Goalpara. This large-scale deforestation has sparked a protest movement reminiscent of the 1970s Chipko movement, spearheaded by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Rima Das, a native of Chhaygaon in Kamrup district.

The NHIDCL has claimed to be implementing measures to mitigate the environmental impact, including a 16-km bypass and the acquisition of less land than initially planned. Despite these efforts, the NGT’s scrutiny underscores the necessity for greater transparency and adherence to environmental safeguards in such large-scale infrastructure projects. The tribunal’s observations highlight the need for the Assam government“We wonder whether material information is deliberately being withheld from this court,” the bench said while listing the matter for the next hearing on July 27.  to furnish comprehensive data and adhere to prescribed environmental protocols, ensuring that the ecological balance is maintained while pursuing developmental goals.

 

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