Nagpur: Can the survival of saplings be more than the number of saplings planted? For the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which has always been in the eye of the storm for poor plantations, it is possible.
According to information received under the RTI Act by city-based green activist Jaydeep Das, the project implementation unit (PIU-I), Nagpur, felled 48,376 trees for road widening of highways and other construction activities and planted 82,401 trees under its jurisdiction. The information pertains from 2001 till 2020.
Under PIU-I, projects include road widening of NH-6 & NH-7 and Umred road and Saoner-Gondkhairi roads, ROBs at Pardi and Butibori, inner ring roads from Kalamna-Manewada, construction of flyovers at Lakhni, Sakoli and Hinganghat junction among other projects.
However, on two stretches, the NHAI has claimed more survival than the number of trees planted. As per the RTI, on an 80km stretch on NH-6 Bhandara-Deori, the NHAI cut 10,701 trees and planted 21,560. However, on the survival and current status of these trees, NHAI says as per its survey till August 31, 2020, 24,123 trees have survived. Similarly, on NH-7, between the Borkhedi-Jam-Wadner section, it planted 21,428 trees but claimed 47,094 trees survived.
“How is it possible that fewer trees are planted and more survive? Only a miracle can make it happen. When subsequent plantations of even the forest department, which is said to have expertise in planting trees, have poor survival, how come NHAI plantations survived more than 100%?,” asked RTI activist Das.
He pointed out several flaws in the RTI reply. “The NHAI chopped 48,376 big trees on NH-6 & NH-7 for four-laning 279km of roads. Against this, the highway’s authority planted over 82,400,” he said, adding, “Considering the Indian Road Congress (IRC)-2009 norms of planting 666 trees per km, NHAI had to actually plant over 2.62 lakh trees but planted 82,400 trees, a deficit of over 1.79 lakh.”
On several occasions NGT had rebuked the highway authority by not adhering to the Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance) Policy, 2015, and planting trees along the highways, said Das.
“We are not against development but NHAI should also value the environment and both tree felling and compensatory tree plantation should be done simultaneously as suggested by the NGT, Pune bench, while disposing of a petition against PWD,” said Das.
The RTI data reveals that while the NHAI is in a tearing hurry to fell trees for road projects, it is slack when it comes to plantations. In the present case, of the total 48,376 trees felled, the Nagpur PIU-I is yet to take up plantations against 8,950 trees felled in the last two years.
Project director NL Yeotkar said, “I’ll check the mismatch about fewer trees planted and more survival. It must have happened due to human error. Secondly, trees against the felled 8,950 will be planted once the ongoing structures and road works are completed.”
During Das’ recent visit to NH-6 on Bhandara-Deori road, the survival of plantations is poor. The worst part is that while NHAI felled big and tall trees for road widening, it considers median plantations (middle of the road) as tree plantation, which are basically done to beautify roads. Against the felled 48,376 trees, the data shows the highways authority planted over 1.5 lakh plants on the median.
THE NUMBER GAME
* NH-7: Kamptee-Kanhan-Nagpur 77km bypass: Trees felled: 24608, Planted: 24,200. Survival: 13,200
* NH-6: Wainganga Bridge-Deori (80km): Trees felled: 10,701. Planted: 21,560. Survival: 24,123
* NH-6: Nagpur-Wainganga Bridge (46km): Trees felled: 3,620. Planted: 12,353. Survival: 11,875
* NH353D: Nagpur-Umred (48km): Trees felled: 4,374. Planted: 0
* NH547E: Saoner-Dhapewada-Gondkhairi (37km): Trees felled: 2,454. Planted: 0
* ROBs/Bypass: Trees felled: 2,122. Planted: 0
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