1.25L trees to face axe if Malwa canal project goes through
Rajmeet Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 13
Nearly 1.25 lakh trees along the banks of Rajasthan feeder canal (also known as Indira Gandhi Canal) were coming in the way of the proposed 150-km ambitious Malwa canal project announced by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday.
On the proposed alignment of the canal, a joint inspection by officials of the Forest Department and the Water Resources Department revealed that over 50,000 trees in Muktsar and 70,000 in Ferozepur forest divisions would have to be axed for the construction of the canal.
Sources said an amount of around Rs 8 crore was spent on planting sheesham, kikkar and neem trees, besides creating an environment park under the Punjab Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) to promote afforestation and regeneration activities. The Water Resources Department had given land to the state Forest Department for undertaking plantation along the canal in Ferozepur, Faridkot and Muktsar districts.
“The forest cover in the area has increased as per a report of the Forest Survey of India. The user agency needs to seek permission under the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), 1980, if the area is considered a deemed forest as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court,” said a senior government functionary privy to the developments.
The issue has been flagged at a time when Opposition parties and some experts are questioning the technical viability of the proposed project.
“Felling such a large number of trees will adversely impact the biodiversity of the region, besides affecting the local wildlife. There was a need to have a discussion on technical, social, economic and environmental parameters before deciding on this project. Previous governments had undertaken a survey for the Malwa canal, but they did not find it feasible on technical grounds,” said PPCC chief Amrinder Raja Warring.
While Water Resources Department Secretary Krishan Kumar did not respond to repeated calls, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests RK Mishra refused to comment on the issue.
The proposed 150-km-long, 50-foot-wide and 12-foot-deep canal to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 2,300 crore will originate at the Harike headworks on the Sutlej in Ferozepur district and run to the left of the Rajasthan feeder canal. It will help irrigate around 2 lakh acres in the southern part of the state.