Satellite data of the Forest Survey of India (FSI) between 2001 and 2007 has found there were 21 hectares of forest area in Noida the very spot where trees were felled by the UP government to raise a statue complex. Noida authorities,meanwhile,have flatly denied this in separate written replies to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) and in an affidavit to the Supreme Courts Centrally Empowered Committee. The area in question was a man-made park,Noida has said. Noida officials reiterated their stand in a public hearing at the CEC on Wednesday. Cutting down a forest needs to follow a stricter set of procedures and permissions,and involves monetary compensation,which were not followed in this case. A fact-finding committee,formed by Noida last year and chaired by the district collector,the Divisional Forest Officer,the district gardens officer and the district agricultural officer,to identify whether the complex was a forest,submitted in February 2008 that there was no forest in Noida. However,satellite data of FSI accessed by the MOEF has found that the 34-hectare complex had thick forest cover. The covered area rose from 14.16 hectare in 2001 to 21.77 hectare in 2007,as per FSI. Further,the moderately dense forest cover (meaning thick forest) increased from 3.7 hectare in 2001 to nine hectare in 2007. This,say officers,means the forest was regenerating on its own and the area was a deemed forest. Areas that have over 50 trees per hectare fall in that category. Noidas reply to the MOEF,written by Principal Secretary V N Garg,alleges that a trial by media is happening in the case. The reply then states that the trees were cut down for development of the park,and 70,000 trees are being planted in and around the same complex. Noida also claims that the original plan was to plant trees after cutting down the older trees. Following tree felling that commenced last year,Noida residents filed a case in the Supreme Court asking for a stay on the project. The case is currently being reviewed by the CEC,which is expected to submit its report to the SC next week.
