GHAZIABAD: The Ghaziabad Development Authority is preparing to cut 600 trees along the proposed Dilshad Garden-New Bus Stand Metro line. It has received all the clearances from the forest department and will begin the process soon. It has also agreed to plant twice the number of trees it will fell during the process elsewhere in the city.
District forest officer Joga Singh said GDA had filed a request to clear an area of its trees along the proposed Metro line. The forest department has given a go-ahead to remove 559 trees in the non-protected area under the ambit of the district forest office. GDA will also cut 41 trees in the protected zone, and has received a clearance from the environment ministry.
Officials said GDA will pay Rs 28 lakh to DFO to ensure twice the number of trees that are felled, are planted elsewhere, as per the understanding between the civic agency and the forest office.
"Despite having clearances, we're yet to decide how many trees we will actually fell," said V K Goyal, chief engineer, GDA.
"There are eight Metro stations coming up in Ghaziabad and trees in their vicinity would be cut to create space for the stations. We though intend to re-locate as many trees as possible," he added.
Environmentalists said the deforestation is going to affect the city's environmental balance, despite the civic agency's assurances to plant more trees.
Goyal accepted that GDA had not carried out any impact assessment before the deforestation drive. "It's a small price we have to pay for development, because after the Metro line opens, traffic will reduce, bringing air pollution down considerably," he said.
