Punjab: State informed about hurdles in land acquisition for compensatory afforestation

Punjab: The controversial 22-km long road widening project between Sirhind and Patiala has once again come under scrutiny after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the state government to file an affidavit explaining why land cannot be acquired for compensatory afforestation within 10 km of the affected area. The direction, a copy of which is with The Tribune, comes on an ongoing petition in which environmental activists and NGOs have raised concerns over the ecological impact of the project and non-compliance with the guidelines of the Indian Road Congress (IRC). The issue came into the limelight after The Tribune, in a report published on July 4, 2024, highlighted the felling of 7,392 full-grown trees for the project. Following this, the NGT issued a notice to the Punjab government. Petitioners Kapil Arora, Dr Amandeep Singh Bains and Jaskirat Singh of the Public Action Committee (PAC) argued that the proposed compensatory plantation in Hoshiarpur and Ropar, located 80 km and 120 km away respectively, violated the NGT guidelines mandating afforestation within 10 km of the deforested site.

During the hearing before a three-member bench of Justice Prakash Shrivastava, chairman, Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, judicial member, Dr Afroz Ahmed, expert member on February 6, the petitioners claimed that the Punjab Public Works Department (PWD) has failed to follow the mandatory IRC guidelines (IRC SP:21-2009 and IRC:SP:84-2019) regarding roadside plantation and landscaping. They alleged that the PWD tried to circumvent these rules by classifying the project as “brownfield”, which means it involves widening an existing road instead of building a new one. The PAC members emphasised that land acquisition for tree plantation as per IRC code should be integrated into highway expansion plans as a single planning process. They argued that environmental landscaping and afforestation should be incorporated in detailed project reports, with no compromise on budgetary allocations.

They warned that non-compliance of these guidelines would lead to increased air and noise pollution in Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala. In response, the PWD informed the tribunal that land acquisition for compensatory afforestation within 10 km of the affected area was not possible due to non-availability of land. However, the petitioners contested this claim, saying that about 85% of the road stretch consists of agricultural land, which means that land acquisition was possible with proper planning. After hearing both sides, the NGT found that the PWD had not given sufficient details about the efforts made to acquire the land or justified why land acquisition was considered impossible. As a result, it directed the state government to submit a detailed affidavit within four weeks clarifying its stand. Further, the tribunal directed the state authorities to acquire land for compensatory afforestation and make every effort to ensure compliance with environmental guidelines. The next hearing is scheduled for April 25.