Supreme Court Seeks Punjab Plan for Compensatory Afforestation Amid NHAI Road Projects
The Supreme Court asked Punjab to submit a plan for allocating land for compensatory afforestation as restrictions on tree felling affect NHAI road projects in the state.
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Punjab government to submit a proposal identifying adequate land for compensatory afforestation linked to road construction projects being undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana raised concerns over Punjab’s limited forest cover and the implementation of measures to compensate for trees felled for development projects.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the NHAI, told the court that directions issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court restricting tree felling had affected the construction of public roads. He said compensatory afforestation is a statutory requirement when trees are cut and highlighted the strategic importance of some roads in Punjab, a border state.
The Supreme Court specifically asked whether land for compensatory afforestation was being provided within five kilometres of areas where trees were being felled. Mehta said this was possible in some cases, while in others plantations had to be undertaken at different locations.
The court subsequently directed Punjab to prepare a proposal for adequate land for compensatory afforestation where land is required for road projects. It also directed the NHAI to serve its petition on the state government and sought Punjab’s response.
The matter stems from a High Court order that raised concerns over the state’s declining forest cover. The High Court had noted that forest cover accounts for just 3.67% of Punjab’s geographical area, compared with 4.87% in Rajasthan.
The proceedings also involve a PIL challenging the proposed felling of nearly 5,000 trees for the NHAI’s Zirakpur bypass project.
