Fatehgarh Sahib August 7:
            Over 1.11 lakh trees previously dotting the Rajpura-Jalandhar National Highway in Shambhu were sold at a whopping cost of Rs 25 crores last year, but not even a single new sapling has been planted in lieu of the axed trees.
The trees, many of them as old as 70 to 100 years, were axed to widen the existing NH-1. The road-widening project got underway began this year. As per forest rules, double the area of axed trees should be planted with new saplings. Manoj Banda, general secretary of the Hindu Organization - a Fatehgarh Sahib based NGO - who procured the information under the Right to Information Act (RTI) said the planting of saplings should had been completed before the cutting of trees began.
“The government was apprised of the option of constructing a road parallel to the GT Road without axing of trees, as most of these trees, including eucalyptus, sheesham, mulberry, rajain (used for making cricket wickets), ornamental trees like amaltas, jamun, gulmohar, burma dek, neem and others, were planted during the construction of Sher Shah Suri Marg years ago and we all know that such trees could never be planted again despite government claims,” he said.
The axed-down trees were spread over an area of 714 hectares on this stretch dotting the Shambhu-Jalandhar Road and formed around 0.2 per cent of the total forest area of the state. Despite clear instructions of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Forest Department has not been provided with funds to initiate the plantation programme. Officials revealed no funds allocated for such plantations had been released since the past five years.
The cost of tree-cutting incurred by the state has increased to Rs 330 crore over these five years. This includes Rs 102 crore, the cost of the trees axed on the Shambhu-Jalandhar Road. The amount includes the trees’ net present value (NPV) and compensatory afforestation charges. The NPV includes loss of nesting for birds, oxygen, biodiversity, soil conservation and other environmental losses, while compensatory afforestation charges include the cost of planting new saplings and its maintenance for five years.
“Though user agencies - like the NHAI, PWD, builders, oil companies and other private and government contractors have deposited Rs 330 crore, the Centre will release this amount in installments,” said Chief Conservator of Forests cum Nodal Officer Kuldeep Kumar. He said the first installment of Rs 33 crore was received in January this year and plantation drive has been launched in 1500 hectares area in Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Patiala and its adjoining areas.
However, the compensatory tree plantation for the 287-km long Shambhu-Jalandhar Road would be done after the clearance of backlog in the next two-three years. The forest officials said there could be no compensation for the axing of the huge trees, some of which had girth of over 4 to 6 ft. The new saplings will be planted in forest areas of Mattewara and other degraded forest areas of the state, they added.