13,681 trees at risk for Chatra bypass: Jharkhand HC stays felling, seeks alternatives
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Ranchi, September 3: The Jharkhand High Court has stayed the felling of 13,681 full-grown trees identified for the…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, September 3: The Jharkhand High Court has stayed the felling of 13,681 full-grown trees identified for the construction of a bypass around Chatra town, expressing serious concern over the environmental and ecological consequences of cutting down trees on such a large scale.
Justice Ananda Sen, hearing a petition filed by Suresh Sao, directed that none of the identified trees is felled until further orders. The court also left it open to the concerned agencies to revisit the proposed road alignment and explore alternatives that could reduce the loss of trees.
The proposed bypass is intended to connect NH-22 (old NH-99) and NH-522 (old NH-100) around Chatra.
The issue reached the High Court after the petitioner sought diversion of the scheduled road alignment, claiming that an alternative route could save around 300 full-grown trees standing on his land.
At the previous hearing, the court directed the authorities to inspect the site and report how many trees would have to be felled under the existing alignment and whether the road could be diverted to save the trees.
On Thursday, the State informed the court, on instructions from the Executive Engineer, NH Division, Hazaribagh, that 13,681 trees, including those in the forest area, would have to be cut under the present alignment.
The State also informed the court that all the identified trees were full-grown.
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Court warns of ecological damage
Taking serious note of the number of trees involved, Justice Sen observed that 13,681 full-grown trees were not a small number and that their felling would have a significant impact on ecology and the environment.
The court emphasised that a forest cannot be viewed merely as a collection of trees. It is an entire ecosystem supporting animals, birds, insects and other forms of life.
The court further observed that even compulsory afforestation and plantation of a large number of saplings cannot immediately substitute an existing forest ecosystem. It noted that saplings can take more than 100 years to develop into full-grown trees and a mature forest.
‘Travel a few miles more’
The High Court also linked the issue to the increasing frequency of natural disasters and the role of human activity in environmental degradation.
Justice Sen observed that forests, flora, fauna and wildlife should not be destroyed merely to enable people to travel a few miles less.
The court said the time had come to consider travelling a few miles more and a few hours more rather than allowing indiscriminate felling of full-grown trees on a large scale.
The court also stressed that development must consider the interests of future generations, observing that the present generation is only a custodian of the environment that must be passed on.
Chatra bypass part of wider highway expansion
The proposed bypass is important because Chatra is an emerging highway junction connecting several key routes in Jharkhand and Bihar.
The project is linked to NH-22, earlier numbered NH-99, and NH-522, earlier numbered NH-100.
NH-22 forms an important corridor through the Chatra region, connecting towards Dobhi and Hunterganj in Bihar and Chandwa in Jharkhand. NH-522 links the Chatra area towards Hazaribagh and Bagodar, providing a connection with the wider national highway network.
The road expansion around Chatra is also linked to the larger Varanasi–Ranchi–Kolkata Greenfield Highway project.
NHAI project records show a 37.3-km Package-8 running from Sonepurbigha village to the junction with NH-22 at the Chatra bypass, while Package-9, covering 31 km, runs from Chatra to the junction with NH-100 at Deoria village.
The larger highway corridor is intended to improve long-distance connectivity across eastern and central India and is expected to increase the strategic importance of Chatra as a road junction.
However, the High Court’s intervention in the present case is centred on the environmental cost of the bypass alignment, particularly the proposed felling of thousands of mature trees.
Court seeks involvement of two Union ministries
In view of the large number of trees identified for felling, the High Court directed the petitioner to implead the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as respondents in the case.
Senior counsel and Additional Solicitor General of India Prashant Pallav accepted notice on behalf of the Union government.
The newly added respondents have been directed to file their counter-affidavits within six weeks.
Construction requiring tree cutting stayed
As an interim measure, the High Court directed that none of the 13,681 identified trees be cut down until further orders.
The court also stayed any construction of the proposed road that would require the felling of these trees.
At the same time, the court made it clear that the concerned agencies were free to revisit the road alignment and examine whether the bypass could be constructed while saving some or a substantial number of the identified trees.
The case will be listed after the newly added respondents file their replies.
