NGT directs aerial survey to find trees felled for ‘kanwar’ route

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the surveyor general of India to conduct an aerial survey to determine the extent of the alleged loss of green cover in the last one year on a route being constructed for the pilgrims’ march during the “kanwar yatra” in Uttar Pradesh.

In an order dated October 4, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava noted the submissions of the surveyor general, saying, “The Survey of India can conduct an aerial survey using UAV/drone to generate orthorectified images of the area to capture the present ground situation and to identify the extent of trees cut on both sides of the canal within 30 days and a report can be submitted before the tribunal.”

Orthorectification is the process of removing image distortions. The bench also comprised judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member A Senthil Vel. The NGT was hearing a case related to the alleged felling of more than 1 lakh trees and shrubs in the protected forest area across three forest divisions of Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Muzaffarnagar for the proposed route between Muradnagar in Ghaziabad district and Purkaji in Muzaffarnagar district near the Uttarakhand border.

The environmental body had registered a suo motu (on its own motion) a case based on a newspaper report, which revealed that the UP government had given its permission for felling 1.12 lakh trees for the road along the upper Ganga Canal. Subsequently three persons had filed intervention applications through advocate Akash Vashishtha .

“The surveyor general in the report will give its findings relating to the extent of tree cover, which has been lost within a year in the area concerned and if possible the number of trees that have been cut during this period,” the bench said.

On September 20, the tribunal had imposed a token fine of Re 1 on the Survey of India’s head for failing to appear before it. “The surveyor general has filed a regular appeal (RA) seeking review of the order dated September 20. The above plea explaining the conduct has been taken in the said RA therefore it will be considered in that RA,” the tribunal said.

It also noted the submissions of the assistant solicitor general for UP that no trees will be felled till the next date of hearing. The matter was posted on November 6.