New Delhi: For the construction of a 6-lane highway in East and North-East Delhi , it is proposed that  5,104 trees covering over 14 hectares of forest land are to be cut and replanted. According to officials, the National Highways Authority of India  has sought permission from the Delhi Forest Department for the development of a 14.75-km stretch of the six-lane Delhi-Saharanpur highway.

A forest department official said there are a total of 5,104 trees on this stretch between the Akshardham National Highway-9 junction and the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. These tree species include shisham, mulberry, peepal, champa, ashoka, subabul, neem, eucalyptus, kikar, ber, jamun and gular. “An inspection was conducted last month. The user agency had left out some trees during the enumeration and now they have been asked to consider those trees as well.”

The official said that NHAI has not yet provided land for compensatory afforestation. This project is valued at approximately Rs.1500 crore is part of the first phase of Bharatmala Pariyojana, the second-largest highway construction program in the country. Under this, 50,000 km of roads will be constructed.

The central agency has sought permission for 0.35 hectares of forest land for the construction of a 6-lane highway from NH-148 DND Maharani Bagh to Jaitpur-Pusta road section. A total of 191 trees including Beri, Neem, Peepal, Mulberry and Sirus are proposed to be shifted during the construction work.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath expands Cabinet, inducts seven new faces

The Indore-Daund Express derailed near Lonavla railway station

Priyanka Gandhi arrives in Lucknow today for a weeklong tour