The Uttarakhand High Court has sought responses from the Central and state governments regarding a Public Interest Litigation challenging a proposal to cut approximately 7,000 trees for a highway project near Dehradun.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay issued the notices on Thursday, directing both authorities to file their counter-affidavits within three weeks. The bench granted the petitioner two weeks thereafter to submit a rejoinder and scheduled the next hearing in five weeks.
Allegations of Environmental Non-Compliance
The petition was brought by Dehradun-based social activist Renu Paul against a road construction project linking Asharodi and Jhajhra in the Yamuna Valley. Carried out by the National Highways Authority of India under the Gati Shakti Green Project, the initiative reportedly lacks mandatory prior clearances related to biodiversity, as required by existing environmental laws.
Risks to Fragile Ecosystem
The filing warns that clearing such a extensive section of forest will cause permanent damage to the fragile ecological balance of the Doon Valley, disrupting wildlife habitats and natural water sources.
According to the petition, the targeted woodland accommodates over 300 species of birds and serves as a vital buffer area for wild elephants. The plea further emphasized that the project threatens nearby habitats such as the Asan Barrage, a major wetland region that draws thousands of migratory birds from around the globe each year.
