Kanwar Route Project: Over 1 Lakh Trees to be Felled

Kanwar route, a pilgrimage route, is set to undergo major development, but at a great environmental cost. More than 1 lakh trees are expected to be felled in the protected forest areas of three forest divisions – Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Muzaffarnagar – for the construction of two lanes of the 111 km Kanwar Marg from Muradnagar to Purkaji near the Uttarakhand border.

The Uttar Pradesh government has informed the National Green Tribunal of its plans to cut down the trees for the Kanwar route project. This project spans Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Muzaffarnagar and includes the construction of 10 major bridges, 27 minor bridges, and one railway overbridge, with a total estimated cost of INR 658 crores.

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Environmental Concerns and Development Goals

What is concerning is that this decision has come at a time when several states in India, including Uttar Pradesh, are grappling with severe heat waves. In the past, we revealed many stories about how India, especially Delhi NCR, has seen a hike in heat wave-related deaths this summer.

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The UP government has identified 222 hectares for afforestation in Lalitpur district, far from where the trees will be chopped, which is not commensurate compensation for the environmental cost of the project. Roshan Kedar, Associate Director for Campaigns at Jhatkaa.org, states that one can't compare fully grown trees to saplings. "It will take a long time to see the effects of the afforestation. Moreover, the afforestation is happening in Lalitpur. How is this going to help people living in areas where the trees are going to be cut? Delhi and NCR is one of the most polluted places, yet the government wants to go for this massive deforestation."

Environmentalists Oppose the Project

Akash Vashishtha, an environmentalist and lawyer representing the intervenors in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on this issue, has voiced strong opposition to the project. Speaking to The Probe, he states, "This project is being perpetrated to facilitate the movement of Kanwariyas, who are Hindu pilgrims, for just 15 days in the month of Shrawan in the Hindu calendar. This project is a fraud done by the government as it has refurbished an old project that was already rejected by the environment ministry. Effectively, the yatra is held for only seven days. To facilitate the Kanwariyas for seven days, they are felling one lakh trees. How is this even justified?"

Vashishtha adds, "We also said before the NGT that no biodiversity assessment was done for the current project in the first phase. They are planning to cut about 1,15,000 trees. This is a massive number. Between 2017 and 2019, lakhs of saplings were planted in Ghaziabad, but during this period, there was no increase in tree cover. Even between 2019 and 2021, again, there was no increase in tree cover, despite claims of having planted lakhs of saplings. In Meerut, the same thing. No increase in tree and forest cover. In Muzaffarnagar, the same story."

Vashishtha also states that the stakeholders were not consulted while this project was being planned for execution. "We told the NGT that the Upper Ganga Canal supplies water to almost 27 to 28 percent of Delhi’s population. This project is bound to wreak havoc because it will result in the drying up of the canal itself," he explains.

Irony in Government Actions

What an irony it is that, on one hand, the government is speaking about planting trees while, on the other hand, it plans to cut down a vast number of them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign on World Environment Day, June 5, 2024, urging everyone in India and across the globe to plant a tree as a tribute to mothers. This initiative aimed to promote afforestation and environmental consciousness. However, the government's plan to fell over 1 lakh trees for the Kanwar route project starkly contrasts with this message of environmental stewardship.

"We don't know whether the forest department has given clearance or not. For a very long period we were trying to get hold of the Environmental Impact Assessment report. No relevant information is on the public domain related to this,” states Eisha Hussain, Campaigns Director at Jhatkaa.org. 

The potential deforestation along the Kanwar route could strip the area of much-needed shade, adversely affecting the pilgrims. The project, which aims to facilitate the pilgrimage, ironically threatens to make it more challenging. Hussain adds, "There is a religious angle to this. I don't think any religious person would want mother nature to be disrespected. The government is not realising that the immediate impact will also be on the pilgrims. When they walk through this route, they will not have any shade. The weather is only going from bad to worse. This is not going to benefit anyone". 

As the project continues to draw criticism, there is a growing call for its reconsideration. Environmentalists, activists, and concerned citizens are urging the government to re-evaluate the project, taking into account its environmental, social, and religious implications.

Discrepancies in Tree Felling Figures

Though the Uttar Pradesh government has informed the NGT that 33,000 trees will be felled, environmentalists argue that the actual number could well exceed 1 lakh. We reached out to Sanjay Singh, an officer with the Uttar Pradesh government’s PWD department and the nodal officer for the project, who reiterated that the number of trees to be felled is 33,000. "33,000 trees will be cut," he stated. However, when confronted with the figure of 1 lakh, he clarified that the rest are small plants and saplings.

Sanjay Singh further elaborated on the government's plans, stating, "We are planning to do afforestation in three places. We have started felling the trees for the project. We have got the NOC from the Ministry of Environment, and we are continuing the process."

As the government proceeds with the Kanwar route project, it faces the challenge of balancing development needs with environmental preservation. While afforestation plans are in place, the loss of mature trees and the potential environmental impact continue to be significant concerns for environmentalists and local communities. The government’s attempt to frame the felling of trees as a necessary sacrifice for development and religious facilitation is met with fierce opposition from environmental activists and concerned citizens. As the project moves forward, it is imperative for the Uttar Pradesh government to address these concerns transparently and responsibly. The path to sustainable development must not come at the expense of ecological degradation and the well-being of future generations.

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