More than 5654 trees felled in Jalandhar to pave way for Jammu-Katra Express way: A special report

Thousands of trees are being cut down continuously for construction of roads and highways in Jalandhar, greenery in the city is continuously declining.

Jalandhar Tree-felling Main-reason-behind-forest-felling
In Jalandhar, thousands of trees are being felled down for the construction of roads and highways. The scarcity of rain, according to the meteorological authority, is the main cause of the recent high temperatures. The amount of rainfall has been reduced to half during the last four years, according to the met department graph. There has been 864.7 mm of rainfall in the first 12 months of 2011, compared to 490.5 mm in 2021. Every day, we cause so much damage to the environment and we are completely unaware of it. Jalandhar's vegetation is dwindling as a result of this.

The loss of flora is the cause of the decrease in precipitation. In Jalandhar, only 5600 hectares of forest land exists. In the previous five years, around 67,600 trees have been felled to improve highways.

According to experts, tree leaves gather moisture during the day and then release it, resulting in rain and a dip in temperature. Districts densely covered with trees are found to be cooler than the rest of the city.

Let's say 6288 trees on National Highway Authority land are cut down to make space for a 70-kilometer stretch of Jammu-Katra Expressway and Ring Road in Jalandhar. For the Expressway, 2282 trees will be cut down, and 1388 trees will be cut down for the ring road project. In addition, 1335 trees would be felled to make space for the Jalandhar-Kapurthala roadway.

The Jalandhar Nakodar Highway will require the removal of 2037 trees. A 7-kilometer four-lane road is being built in Jalandhar city from Lamba Pind Chowk to Jandu Singha, which will need the removal of 300 trees. According to the figures, 3288 trees have been felled so far.

It should be emphasised that no approval has been taken for the fresh plantation in lieu of felled trees. It should be noted that these trees were cut down during the road-clearing cycle, and permission from the Central Government to plant fresh trees is required to compensate for the trees that were felled.

However, the project has yet to receive permission for the planting of seedlings. The seedlings can only be planted during the monsoon season. The forest department will begin planting seedlings as soon as the approval is received.

Also read:  Dowry case: Life imprisonment to couple for death of daughter-in-law

It is also important to mention here that the forest department says that more than 40,000 saplings have been planted to compensate for the number of trees that have been cut down so far. New plants have been planted in BSF and Cantt area of ​​Jalandhar to promote greenery.

Trending