An expert committee constituted at the behest of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to probe various environmental aspects of the proposed 111-km Upper Ganga Canal Road project has asked the green tribunal for more time to prepare a final, detailed report and added that, it will also distribute a carbon impact assessment report.

The 111 km project – also known as the Kanwar Marg project – stretches from Muradnagar in Ghaziabad to Purkaji near the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border. The Uttar Pradesh forest department got the green nod in January and the proposal called for 112,000 trees and shrubs to be cut in the protected forest area of ​​three forest divisions – Ghaziabad, Meerut and Muzaffarnagar.

HT on February 1 highlighted the concerns of environmental activists, who warned that cutting down such a large number of trees will have a negative impact on the region’s biodiversity. Based on the HT report, the NGT on March 13 registered a suo motu petition and impleaded UP and Uttarakhand officials as respondents.

During a meeting on November 6, the expert committee submitted a provisional report to the tribunal stating: “The Public Works Department (PWD) will assess and provide a detailed report on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the cutting of trees in the said area. This will include potential impacts on air quality and any other environmental concerns.”

The interim report also shows that 17,607 trees were cut in the three districts on August 9.

The NGT then directed the committee to “expedite and submit the final report without delay”. The green court also observed that permission was granted to fell 112,722 trees, but now it has been decided that only 33,776 trees will be cut.

The order was uploaded online on November 8.

During the hearing, the panel in their report claimed that PWD is “working with environmental experts to prepare a carbon impact assessment report” which “will analyze the total carbon footprint of the project and include an environmental impact assessment report “.

HT contacted PWD executive engineer Ram Raja on Saturday, who did not return calls for comment.

The NGT then directed the UP government to clarify whether the number of trees to be cut was calculated strictly in accordance with the provisions of the UP Tree Protection Act, 1976.

“The state will also clarify whether the plants, trees, bushes, etc. which are cut in road construction and are not counted in 33,766 trees, fall under the definition of tree under the UP Tree Protection Act. The State of UP shall file the affidavit of the Additional Chief Secretary (Environment) clearly indicating the number of trees to be cut in the course of construction of the concerned Kawar Marg and the said number shall be disclosed keeping in view the provisions of the UP Tree Protection Act 1976 “, said the court.

The NGT added that it should also be clearly stated whether the trees have been felled beyond the proposed width of 15/20m trees, “and if so, the person responsible for it”.

The Survey of India (SoI) is also a respondent in the case and the NGT – which wants to find the extent of tree felling for the project by comparing satellite images between October 2023 and October 2024 – ordered the agency to submit a report “showing the position comparison of trees” in the three districts.

However, the SoI filed a compliance report in the court on October 29, claiming that satellite images of the area in question were found only for the year 2023.