SC allows NHAI to resume work on G’gram-Pataudi-Rewari highway

Gurugram, April 15

The Supreme Court has granted permission to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to resume work on the Gurugram-Pataudi-Rewari highway. It has also upheld the National Green Tribunal’s decision on compensatory afforestation.

The court in its latest orders has asked the NHAI to find an appropriate site in the vicinity of the project for compensatory afforestation for around 20,000 tress that will be axed. It has also directed the NHAI to include city environmentalists, who had approached the SC regarding the issue, for the afforestation process.

The project, which was started in 2020, was stalled in 2022 after city environmentalists approached the NGT accusing the NHAI of trying to wriggle out of compensatory afforestation. They said the NHAI was claiming that it wasn’t able to find enough land for afforestation in vicinity of the project. The NGT had directed the NHAI to find a land within 10 km of the project for planting 80,000 saplings as “compensatory afforestation”.

The NHAI had identified various areas in south India for planting the saplings but city environmentalists opposed the move. Following the NGT’s ruling, the NHAI moved to the Supreme Court.

The apex court said, “Interact with the applicants to find out the place/location where trees can be replanted. In case, any specified location is mutually agreed upon, the tree plantation drive will be undertaken there. The project can meanwhile be resumed.”

A city-based environmentalist, Vaishali Rana Chandra, said, “The Supreme Court has ordered that we will be a part of the team to find the afforestation site. Now, the government agencies can’’t get away by giving excuses that no land is available for the process in Gurugram. However, we are worried that the court has allowed the resumption of project without fixing the onus on the NHAI and the Forest Department for felling of trees in violations of compensatory afforestation rules.”

The work on the four-lane 43-km highway project, connecting Gurugram, Rewari, and Pataudi started in July 2020 after Union minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for the project.

80,000 saplings to be planted

• The court has asked the NHAI to find an appropriate site in the vicinity of the project for compensatory afforestation for around 20,000 trees that will be axed
• The SC has also upheld the NGT’s order directing the NHAI to find land within 10 km of the project for planting 80,000 saplings as compensatory afforestation

Undertake Plantation drive

Interact with the applicants to find out the location where trees can be replanted. In case any specified location is mutually agreed upon, the tree plantation drive will be undertaken there.

Supreme Court