By Naysa Shrivastava
National Highway Authority of India has committed to plant 39,500 trees around Pune-Nashik Highway to remunerate the 2017 environmental destruction for the construction of the highway.
The plantation will begin in February, the motive is to promote afforestation.
Environmental activist Ganesh Borhade from Sangamner is the reason behind this huge decision.
In 2020, he filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal (NGT). According to him NHAI promised afforestation by planting trees after the highway construction and failed to fulfill the promise. He stated, “In response to my RTI, the NHAI responded that they have already planted the trees but when we looked into it, they did nothing. I requested NGT for four years. Over 2000 trees were cut down in my area alone.” In the last week’s hearing, NHAI gave the word to the court that they will abide by the environmental clearance conditions and begin the plantation of trees in March.
Senior NHAI official said that the process has already started and will be finished by March. The court stated, “A joint committee will be formed and after the completion of the process it will visit the area for survey and make sure that the work has been done or not.” Adding to this, it will also conduct the visits for 5 years to check upon the trees survival.
The tree plantation measure is also taken for other districts in Pune. 18 trees in Narayangaon, 462 trees in Khed, 6,365 trees in Junnar, 5,549 trees in Ambegaon. More than 5000 trees were cut down in these areas. The plantation process will be conducted by the state social forestry department. Vivek Khandekar, additional principal chief conservator of forest said, “In all the three districts, Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik, plantation will begin simultaneously after the funds acquisition.”