HC queries Uttarakhand govt over compensation for felling of century-old trees in Shivalik range

The Uttarakhand High Court has asked the state government how much it was going to pay as compensation for cutting 1,600 trees in the Shivalik range for the widening of the Dehradun-Ganeshpur (Saharanpur) national highway.

The High Court has also asked the state government on where compensatory afforestation would be done in lieu of the trees that were being felled.

Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on Wednesday raising objections to the large-scale felling of trees as part of the road-widening project, Chief Justice R S Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma asked the Divisional Forest Officer concerned to appear in person before the court and provide all information on September 24 when the matter will be heard again.

The High court has already put a stay on the construction of the 19.5 km highway.

The petitioner, a resident of Haldwani, said in his PIL that about 2,700 trees were being felled as part of the project adversely affecting the wildlife habitat in the region.

Around 2,700 trees aged between 100-150 years have to be cut for the project out of which 1,600 are in the Shivalik range. A portion of the project passes through the eco-sensitive zone of Dehradun and Rajaji National Park.

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