New Delhi (Agency): The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to plant “at least 10,000 trees within a month” in the state of Uttarakhand. The decision comes as a way to make up for the trees cut down during the construction of a road.
The NGT was examining a complaint that said the BRO had not followed environmental rules. This happened during the construction of a road from Simli to Gwaldam in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, a place known for its natural beauty and importance to national security.
A panel of judges and experts, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, studied the matter closely. Last year, the tribunal had created a special team made up of officials from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, and other local authorities.
The report from this team stated that the BRO had not broken any laws regarding cutting down trees. However, the report did not provide details on the number of trees that had been planted as compensation. The report also mentioned that 17 landslides were noted along the road.
“We think that the BRO needs to plant trees to replace those that were cut down,” the panel said. The tribunal also stated that the BRO should take steps to prevent more landslides in the area.
“BRO will work with the local Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) to plant at least 10,000 trees within one month from today,” said the tribunal. The tribunal also told the DFO to keep an eye on these new trees for three months and then give a report on how well they are growing.
Part of the newly planted trees must also help in stopping landslides, according to the tribunal. The District Magistrate will oversee efforts to prevent landslides by building protective structures.
The NGT also set a deadline for reports to be submitted by local authorities. Both the District Magistrate and the Divisional Forest Officer have to submit their reports by March 31, 2024.