Delhi: Over 2,000 trees may be axed for construction of highway

Over 14 hectares of forest land in east and northeast Delhi having 2,038 trees is proposed to be diverted for the construction of a stretch of a six-lane highway.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has sought permission from the Delhi forest department for the development of a 14.75-km stretch of the six-lane access controlled Delhi-Saharanpur highway, according to official documents.

There are a total of 2,038 trees on the stretch between the Akshardham NH-9 junction and the Delhi-UP border.

The tree species include Sheesham, Sahtut, Peepal, Champa, Ashok, Subabul, Neem, Eucalyptus, Kikar, Ber, Jamun and Gular.

The Rs 1,500-crore project is part of Phase I of the Bharatmala Pariyojana, the second largest highway construction programme in the country under which 50,000 km of roads will be constructed.

The project falls in deemed forest land and diversion of this deemed forest land is unavoidable, the proposal read.