The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has agreed to pay Rs 11.12 crore to the Delhi Government’s environment department for cutting 1,952 full grown trees between Mukarba Chowk and Delhi border to add four lanes to the existing eight-lane NH-1 stretch between Delhi and neighbouring Haryana.
On the other hand, the Delhi Government, on behalf of the NHAI, will plant 19,520 saplings on 19.52 hectare of DDA land at Yamuna floodplains (in between Yamuna Bank Metro Station and Railway line adjacent to CWG Village Complex).
Once these saplings grow up, they would be planted on the 8.10 kilometre stretch along the Right of Way (ROW) between Mukarba Chowk and Haryana border on the same highway after seven years. The cost of cutting of each tree has been worked out to be about Rs 57,000.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had approved the proposal for widening of the eight-lane road from Mukarba Chowk to Panipat section of the National Highway–1 on April 22 , 2015.
A senior official said the timber obtained from felling of 1,952 trees would be auctioned by the land owning agency and its proceeds would be deposited as revenue with the Government. He said, “The lops and tops obtained on removal of firewood species of trees will be handed over by the NHAI to the municipal officials for use of free of cost firewood in public crematoriums of Delhi. Before shifting of wood, if any, from the site of removal of trees, permission for its transportation will reportedly be obtained from the Tree Officer.”
The project cost of NH-1 from Delhi to Panipat was estimated to be Rs 2,204.51 crore. The project cost included cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. The total length of the road will be approximately 69.84 km.
The main object of the project is to improve infrastructure in the States of Delhi and Haryana and also to reduce the time and cost of travel, particularly for heavy traffic, plying on this sector.
The road is a part of Sher Shah Suri Marg (now NH-1) connecting the States of Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh and Western Uttar Pradesh with Delhi. This road is also important from a strategic point of view as it leads to the borders of the country. The development of this stretch will help in uplifting the socio-economic condition of the concerned regions of Delhi and Haryana and also increase employment potential for local labourers for project activities.