More than 74,000 trees have been cut down across the state to make way for the ambitious NH66 expansion, a project aimed at significantly reducing travel time between Kasaragod in the north and Thiruvananthapuram in the south.
Yet, while construction is advancing swiftly, the effort to restore the lost green cover is trailing far behind. According to official data, a staggering 74,921 trees were felled as part of the NH66 widening works that stretch through multiple districts. In response, authorities had committed to planting ten saplings for every tree lost — a total of 749,210 new trees. However, progress on this front has been minimal. So far, only 55,540 saplings have been planted, leaving a deficit of 693,670 saplings still to be accounted for.
The replantation activity is currently limited to two stretches: Kadampattukonam to Kazhakoottam in Thiruvananthapuram district and Thalappady to Kalikkadavu in Kasaragod. Officials from the Social Forestry Department say that the primary reason for the delay is the difficulty in identifying suitable land for mass planting. In the face of this challenge, the department is exploring alternative solutions, such as ‘Nagaravanam’ (urban forests) and ‘Vidyavanam’ (school forests). These models aim to bring green spaces into urban areas and educational institutions. Proposals are being prepared for compensatory afforestation along 23 project stretches across nine districts, which will be submitted to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for funding approvals.
Within the 55,540 saplings already in the ground, 23,540 were planted in Kozhikode, 24,000 at Sainik School in Thiruvananthapuram, and 8,000 at the Greenfield Stadium also in Thiruvananthapuram. Despite these initial efforts, many other districts are lagging due to bureaucratic and logistical delays. NHAI has clarified that it is not holding up disbursement of funds. Funds have already been released for stretches in Kasaragod, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram, with further allocations awaiting cost estimates from the Social Forestry Department. An official associated with the highway authority stated that the revised plans — which include the shift to Nagaravanam and Vidyavanam models — have already received necessary approvals.
A key procedural change has further delayed fund flows: the Social Forestry Department has moved from a district-wise account structure to a centralised state-level account, which is still being formalised. Due to this, the transfer of approved funds to Malappuram has been held up, even though the money is ready. In Alappuzha and Kollam, the NHAI is in the process of reviewing the newly submitted afforestation proposals. Meanwhile, in Ernakulam, Thrissur, and Kannur, the final cost estimates from district forest officers are still pending, stalling the start of replantation in these areas.
For example, Kozhikode has already received ₹90 lakh, resulting in the plantation of over 23,000 saplings. But further expansion is on hold until new estimates are submitted. In Kasaragod, where ₹2.21 crore has been disbursed, work is ongoing. However, several areas still lack formal replantation proposals. As Kerala’s highway modernisation gathers pace, the widening gap between trees cut and saplings planted has sparked concern among environmental experts and citizen groups. With climate resilience and ecological balance being critical to the state’s long-term sustainability, the delay in fulfilling the afforestation promise raises questions about project planning and execution.
Experts caution that merely planting saplings is not enough; survival and maintenance of these plants are equally vital to restoring the green cover lost to development. Until the afforestation drive catches up, the environmental cost of this infrastructural upgrade will remain a growing concern. While the NH66 expansion may eventually cut travel time and boost connectivity across Kerala, the accompanying loss of biodiversity — and the slow recovery of tree cover — serves as a stark reminder that sustainable development must balance both speed and stewardship of nature.
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