NHAI’s claims on NH-69 plantations exposed

NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Wednesday expressed its utter displeasure against National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for making false claims on compensatory tree plantation on NH-69 between Nagpur and Betul.
On a PIL filed by Nature Conservation Society (NCA) in 2012, the respondent, NHAI, had filed an affidavit before a double bench of Justice Bhushan Gavai and VM Deshpande on December 3, stating that it had cut 14,832 full-grown trees on NH-69 for widening of Nagpur-Saoner-Betul section.
In lieu of the felled trees, NHAI submitted it will plant at least 73,000 trees by March 31, 2015. Till date, it has planted 52,581 trees on both sides of the 257-km stretch.
On December 3, the NHAI submitted a report by GB Hedau, horticulture & landscaping expert, claiming that of the 52,581 trees, 43,000 have survived and 10,000 need to be replaced. However, the petitioner — NCA — sought direction from the court that amicus curiae in the matter should do a spot visit to verify the tall claims of NHAI on survival of trees.
Accordingly, the court ordered spot inspection on NH-69. It was conducted on December 10 by amicus curiae SS Sanyal in the presence of Prashant Mendhe, manager (technical), NHAI, Hedau and the petitioner. The report was submitted to the high court by Sanyal on Wednesday.
The amicus curiae report stated the team travelled till 60km and found that 70 pits were dug on left side of the road near Mental Hospital Square to Divisional Sports Complex but no trees planted. It also stated that 70% of the trees planted opposite Koradi telephone exchange are dead while remaining are not in a healthy condition. From Dahegaon to Pipla, there are no plantations. Plantations on other patches visited by the amicus curiae too were in bad shape.
“From what has been shown to me on random basis, it can be said that more than 52,000 trees have been planted by the NHAI, but more than 50% of these trees so planted are not at all in healthy condition. In fact, 25-30% of the trees are in critical condition,” the report submitted to the court states.
The amicus curiae stated that plantations carried out by NHAI are not in accordance with the guidelines on landscaping and tree plantation by Indian Road Congress (IRC). Had the right species been planted at right places, trees would have survived and mortality rate would have been less, he said. Sanyal also placed pictures of plantations before the court.
The NHAI has been advised to plant trees like peepal, neem, banyan, rain trees, karanj and bakul. In the hilly stretch, it has been advised to plant anjan trees. The NHAI landscaping expert who submitted a positive report on plantations was conspicuous by his absence in the court to which court expressed displeasure.
PLANTATIONS IN BAD SHAPE
NHAI files affidavit before HC claiming it has planted 52,581 trees on both sides of the 257-km Nagpur-Saoner-Betul section in lieu of 14,832 felled trees
Petitioner seeks direction from the court that amicus curiae do a spot visit to verify the NHAI claims
Amicus curiae report states a team found 70 pits dug on left side from Mental Hospital Sq to Sports Complex but no trees planted
70% of trees planted opposite Koradi telephone exchange are dead while the rest are not in a healthy condition
Plantations on other patches visited by the amicus curiae too were in bad shape.