Amid concerns over environmental conservation, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) revealed that a staggering 7,575 trees have been felled along a nearly 16-km stretch of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway. Responding to a query filed under the Right To Information (RTI) Act by Noida-based social activist Amit Gupta, NHAI disclosed that of these trees, 4,983 were axed in Uttarakhand, while 2,592 were in Uttar Pradesh.
Pankaj Kumar Mourya, the public information officer-cum-project director, said that efforts were underway to mitigate the environmental impact, news agency PTI reported. Mourya noted that 155 trees had been translocated in Uttar Pradesh, with 121 surviving the process. To compensate for the loss, NHAI assured that 1,76,050 trees are slated for planting by the forest departments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
“Total (over Rs 3.60 crore) has been paid against compensatory afforestation to forest departments of UP and Uttarakhand by the NHAI,” it added. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the 212 km-long six-lane Delhi-Dehradun Greenfield Access Controlled Expressway is being built at a cost of Rs 12,000 crore.
The Delhi-Dehradun Greenfield Access Controlled Expressway, spanning 212 km with an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore, is poised to significantly reduce travel time between the two cities to just two-and-a-half hours upon its anticipated completion next year. The project, segmented into four sections, incorporates several ecological considerations, including wildlife safety measures such as elevated roads, animal underpasses, and bridges to facilitate the movement of fauna.
This expressway is being constructed starting from Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Akshardham in Delhi, Shastri Park, Khajuri Khas, EPE interchange at Khekra in Mandola, Baghpat, Shamli, Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh to Dehradun, Uttrakhand.
A 340-metre-long three-lane tunnel is also being constructed at Datkali, Dehradun at a cost of Rs 1,995 crore, the ministry stated in an April 2023 statement about the project.
“Many special provisions have been made in the construction of the entire corridor. In these, the route from Ganeshpur to Dehradun has been kept safe for wildlife. There is a provision of 12-km elevated road, six animal underpasses, two elephant underpasses, two major bridges and 13 minor bridges,” the MoRTH said.
“Also, 113 VUP (Vehicular Under Passes), LVUP (Light Vehicular Under Passes), SVUP (Small Vehicular Under Passes), 5 ROBs, 4 major bridges and 62 bus shelters are being constructed in the entire expressway. Along with this, apart from 76 km service road, 29 km elevated road, 16 entry-exit points are also being constructed,” it added.
(With inputs from PTI)