NGT allows felling of trees to widen Avinashi-Mettupalayam Rd

CHENNAI: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has allowed the state Highways Department to fell trees for the widening of the Avinashi-Mettupalayam Road by executing a compensatory plantation plan.

In its judgment, the bench comprising judicial member Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati directed the Highways Department to ensure planting of 4,770 saplings within the next two planting seasons, with priority to native species such as Neem, Tamarind, Poongan, Kadamba, Naval, Mahilam, alongside other resilient species as appropriate.

"The State Highways Department shall undertake the responsibility for maintaining all saplings for a period of at least five years or till they grow to a considerable size, including watering, fencing and replacing any saplings that fail," the judgement said.

Also, the department should maintain a database of geo-tags of trees felled, saplings planted, and their status and the details should be made publicly accessible on the department's official website. Moreover, any further tree felling under the project should be allowed only upon verification of compliance with the afforestation targets already undertaken.

The tribunal took up suo motu cognizance of the issue based on news reports and observed that the Highways Department, after felling 470 trees on the 13-km Avinashi–Nariyampalli stretch last month, has commenced the removal of an additional 1,342 trees on the Nariyampalli–Mettupalayam stretch. However, the department submitted that the trees are felled with prior approvals from the District Green Committee.

"From the status report of the state Highways Department, this tribunal notes that the project in question involves a significant infrastructure upgrade – from a 7-metre wide two-lane road to a 16.2-metre wide four-lane highway – which is expected to ease traffic congestion and contribute to regional development. However, such developmental activities must not come at the irreversible cost of ecological balance. Further, permissions from forest and revenue authorities, based on due verification, were secured prior to cutting trees," the bench observed.