NHAI to plant trees as compensatory afforestation as 7,000 trees are proposed to be cut for the Inter Modal Station Project(IMS) at Ajni
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to plant 25,000 trees as compensatory afforestation on the available vacant spaces within limits of Nagpur Municipal Corporation as about 7,000 trees are proposed to be felled for the proposed Inter Modal Station Project (IMS) at Ajni in Nagpur. Similarly, Gadkari has asked NHAI to transplant 5000 trees in the city. “E-tag all the trees above 3 metres in height and start the work immediately,” said Gadkari.
Gadkari convened a meeting on Friday, June 4, in this connection. The meeting was attended by Mayor Dayashankar Tiwari, Municipal Commissioner Radhakrishan B, MLC Pravin Datke, MLA Mohan Mate, NHAI Regional Director Rajiv Agrawal, NEERI’s former Director Satish Wate, environment activists Swanand Soni, Kaustubh Chatterjee, Nishant Gandhi and others. Gadkari directed the NHAI to transplant the trees along NMC roads, PWD roads, ring roads, cement roads, and other suitable roads in Nagpur city as suggested by NMC. Special efforts should be made to nurture the transplanted trees and ensure their growth, the Union Minister stressed.
The ambitious IMS project was brought to Nagpur after painstaking efforts. The project will cost Rs 1300 crore. The plantation and transplantation of trees has to be started by July end. For this work, a committee headed by former NEERI Director Satish Wate should be formed. The committee will comprise environment experts as well as government officials. “Presently the NMC policy for a cut tree is in the ratio of 1:5. It means if one tree is cut, five trees will have to be planted. But the policy can be changed from time to time,” Gadkari stated.