UP Cuts Tree Felling for Canal Road Project
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

UP Cuts Tree Felling for Canal Road Project

In a significant move to address environmental concerns, the Uttar Pradesh public works department (PWD) has decided to reduce the area designated for tree felling in the proposed 111 km Upper Ganga Canal (UGC) road project. Originally, the project threatened the cutting of approximately 112,722 trees and shrubs across the districts of Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Muzaffarnagar. The revised plans aim to decrease the felling area by 25%, potentially saving around 10% of the trees in the process.

Ram Raja, executive engineer of the PWD, stated, "Considering the tribunal's guidance to save as many trees as possible, the previous felling width of 20 meters has been reduced to 15 meters. While final assessments will confirm the exact number of saved trees, we estimate that about 10% could be preserved."

The project, which entails constructing two lanes of the road (known as Kanwar Marg), is budgeted at ?6.58 billion. Official estimates indicate that the felling will involve approximately 16,873 trees in Muzaffarnagar, 66,685 in Meerut, and 29,164 in Ghaziabad.

Additionally, a proposal has been put forth to transplant around 400 trees, with 86 already relocated in Ghaziabad. Isha Tiwari, divisional forest officer, remarked, "While we cannot provide precise figures, the reduced width will lead to a notable number of saved trees."

As the felling activities commence in Ghaziabad, the NGT has ordered the Survey of India to provide satellite images to ascertain the actual extent of tree cutting. Environmentalists have raised alarms regarding the potential loss of mature trees and the broader impact on local wildlife and biodiversity.

Sushil Raghav, an environmental advocate, emphasized, "The felling of any trees along the canal will adversely affect the environment and disrupt wildlife habitats. Only through satellite imagery can we accurately gauge the impact of this project."

In earlier proceedings, the NGT had instructed the UP forest department and local authorities to provide detailed reports on the planned tree removals. In total, the felling is expected to occur over approximately 222.98 hectares across the three districts.

As part of compensatory afforestation efforts, the report submitted to the tribunal proposed planting 484,720 saplings across Lalitpur, Mirzapur, and Sonbhadra?districts located between 550 and 848 kilometers from Ghaziabad. However, environmentalists remain skeptical about the effectiveness of such measures, urging for more robust protections for the region?s old-growth trees.

Your next big infra connection is waiting at RAHSTA 2025 – Asia’s Biggest Roads & Highways Expo, Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. Don’t miss out!

In a significant move to address environmental concerns, the Uttar Pradesh public works department (PWD) has decided to reduce the area designated for tree felling in the proposed 111 km Upper Ganga Canal (UGC) road project. Originally, the project threatened the cutting of approximately 112,722 trees and shrubs across the districts of Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Muzaffarnagar. The revised plans aim to decrease the felling area by 25%, potentially saving around 10% of the trees in the process. Ram Raja, executive engineer of the PWD, stated, Considering the tribunal's guidance to save as many trees as possible, the previous felling width of 20 meters has been reduced to 15 meters. While final assessments will confirm the exact number of saved trees, we estimate that about 10% could be preserved. The project, which entails constructing two lanes of the road (known as Kanwar Marg), is budgeted at ?6.58 billion. Official estimates indicate that the felling will involve approximately 16,873 trees in Muzaffarnagar, 66,685 in Meerut, and 29,164 in Ghaziabad. Additionally, a proposal has been put forth to transplant around 400 trees, with 86 already relocated in Ghaziabad. Isha Tiwari, divisional forest officer, remarked, While we cannot provide precise figures, the reduced width will lead to a notable number of saved trees. As the felling activities commence in Ghaziabad, the NGT has ordered the Survey of India to provide satellite images to ascertain the actual extent of tree cutting. Environmentalists have raised alarms regarding the potential loss of mature trees and the broader impact on local wildlife and biodiversity. Sushil Raghav, an environmental advocate, emphasized, The felling of any trees along the canal will adversely affect the environment and disrupt wildlife habitats. Only through satellite imagery can we accurately gauge the impact of this project. In earlier proceedings, the NGT had instructed the UP forest department and local authorities to provide detailed reports on the planned tree removals. In total, the felling is expected to occur over approximately 222.98 hectares across the three districts. As part of compensatory afforestation efforts, the report submitted to the tribunal proposed planting 484,720 saplings across Lalitpur, Mirzapur, and Sonbhadra?districts located between 550 and 848 kilometers from Ghaziabad. However, environmentalists remain skeptical about the effectiveness of such measures, urging for more robust protections for the region?s old-growth trees.

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Vedanta Aluminium to Highlight Industry Leadership at ALUMEX India 2025

Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest aluminium producer and a key contributor to downstream industries, will be among the major participants at ALUMEX India 2025, the country’s first dedicated exhibition and conference for the aluminium extrusion sector.The company will showcase its globally certified, next-generation value-added aluminium products, with a special focus on billets, where it commands more than half of India’s domestic market share. Supported by certifications from the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Vedanta Aluminium continue..

Next Story
Products

Hikvision Boosts Traffic Safety with Smart Entry-Exit Solutions

Smart Entrance and Exit Management Solutions are increasingly vital for improving traffic safety and transport security. Hikvision has introduced advanced systems featuring automated boom barrier gates with multiple pole options, enabling flexible and efficient access control. These solutions address vehicle entry and exit challenges across malls, residential complexes, industrial parks, corporate campuses and retail facilities. By offering detailed vehicle movement records, they reduce risks such as theft or damage while supporting security managers in maintaining safe operations. H..

Next Story
Equipment

John Crane Launches Type 8628VL Seal for Ethane Pipelines

John Crane has unveiled the Type 8628VL, a next-generation mechanical seal engineered to address sealing challenges in multiphase ethane and ethylene pipelines. Using spiral groove non-contacting technology, the seal ensures high reliability, operational efficiency, and environmental compliance under volatile pressure and temperature conditions. Ethane pipelines face frequent phase shifts from liquid to vapour to supercritical, often compromising conventional seals. The Type 8628VL, with dual non-contacting seal faces in tandem configuration, delivers hydrodynamic lift, phase-change resilienc..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?