NGT seeks clarifications on impact, tree felling

GHAZIABAD: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed different agencies to submit clarificatory affidavits on different aspects of the environmental impact assessment and the extent of tree felling that would be required to construct the 111km Upper Ganga Canal road project through the protected forest areas from Muradnagar in Ghaziabad to near Purkazi in Muzaffarnagar.

- Peeyush Khandelwal

The tribunal is hearing the matter after taking suo motu cognizance of an HT report titled "UP gives permission to fell 112000 trees for road along Upper Ganga Canal" published on February 1 and has sought responses from states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The project proposal stated that 112,000 trees and shrubs will be felled in the protected forest area of three forest divisions of Ghaziabad, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar.

A road already exists on the right flank of the canal from Muradnagar to near Purkazi and the proposed road will come up on the left flank, said UP government officials.

The road stretch is more commonly known as "Kanwar Marg" and environmentalists have claimed that the massive tree felling would severely impact environment and the natural wildlife habitat in the region.