Noida: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has revealed that 7,575 trees were felled along a 16-kilometer stretch of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, with plans to plant over 1.76 lakh trees as compensation. This information was disclosed in response to a Right To Information (RTI) query filed by social activist Amit Gupta.
According to NHAI, 4,983 trees were cut in Uttarakhand and 2,592 in Uttar Pradesh along the Ganeshpur-Dehradun section of the project. Responding to the query regarding the status of tree replantation and survival, NHAI stated that 155 trees were translocated in Uttar Pradesh, out of which 121 survived.
Compensatory afforestation schemes submitted by the forest departments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand outline plans to plant 1,76,050 trees to offset the felling of the aforementioned 7,575 trees. NHAI confirmed that a total of ₹3,60,69,780 has been paid to the forest departments of both states for compensatory afforestation.
The Delhi-Dehradun Greenfield Access Controlled Expressway, spanning 212 kilometers and costing ₹12,000 crore, is expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun to two-and-a-half hours upon completion. The expressway is divided into four sections, starting from Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Akshardham in Delhi and ending in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
Notable features of the expressway project include the construction of a 340-meter-long tunnel at Datkali, Dehradun, and provisions for wildlife safety, including elevated roads, animal underpasses, and major bridges. Additionally, various vehicular underpasses, major bridges, and bus shelters are being constructed along the route.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has outlined extensive provisions to ensure the safety and convenience of commuters and wildlife throughout the expressway’s construction.
