No trees cut outside permitted right of way for Kanwar Marg, UP govt tells NGT

“Based on the on-site physical inspection, old satellite Google images, and the cross-section provided by the public works department, a thorough investigation was conducted at a total of 13 points. Based on available evidence, it can be stated that no evidence of tree felling outside the proposed 20-metre right of way was found at any of the inspected locations,” the UP government’s affidavit stated.

A site inspection report attached with the affidavit stated that the FSI joint director, Meera Iyer, had made an error in measuring the 20-m width. “While measuring the width on the basis of Google Earth data by the Joint Director of Forest Survey of India, it appears that the minimum 7.5 meters of land left from the toe of the irrigation department’s dole has also been included in the width measurement,” the report said.

A dole or dowel is built along canals for safety, usually between the service road and the edge of the canal, creating a raised barrier.

Lalit Kumar Verma, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Lucknow, inspected the road construction site along the Ganga canal in April along with officials from the UP public works department and irrigation department.

NGT’s joint committee probe

The NGT earlier constituted a joint committee to inquire into, among other things, whether trees were felled beyond the 20-m stretch, as permitted in the in-principle approval granted for Kanwar Marg. Meera Iyer, who was part of the committee, filed a separate response in February, stating that the FSI had identified several locations where tree felling had exceeded 20 m. The FSI officer also attached photographs to indicate the difference in stretches between 2022 and 2024, using satellite images, and submitted that trees were cut beyond 20 m.

The proposed 111-km-long road is being built along the right branch of the Upper Ganga canal from Murad Nagar to Purkaji near Uttarakhand. The UP government is building the road on the grounds that it will not only facilitate the movement of Kanwar pilgrims but also vehicular movement. A stretch of 62 km has already been constructed and 17,607 trees have been axed for the stretch, as per the UP government’s submissions.