SHILLONG, June 23: The construction of the four-lane 71.5 Km Shillong-Dawki ran into hurdles at the four-lane stretch between Umshyrpi bridge to Upper Shillong after scores of over 100-year-old English pine trees were felled for the purpose of road expansion and construction.
The issue cropped up after pictures and videos of the felled trees went viral on social media.
This particular stretch measuring around one km is Shillong’s idea of a boulevard and is considered one of the most scenic locations en-route to Sohra and the stately pine trees added to the beauty of the “Scotland of the East”.
A Forest department official, requesting anonymity, said that the Department has been ordered to cut down a total of 4,447 trees along the entire 71.5 kms stretch.
“We only obeyed the orders of officers,” the official said, adding the Department has stopped bringing down the trees since Wednesday morning.
Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma had asked the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) to immediately stop felling the trees till the Government finds a better solution.
Stressing on the need to balance development with environment, he said the iconic stretch of the road near Upper Shillong is mostly intact and will not be touched. Images of trees being felled in the area are disturbing, he said.
The Forest department official said mandatory clearances from the Ministry of Forest and Environment were obtained for the project.
“For each tree felled (not on the main boulevard), we will plant ten trees as compensatory afforestation since it is our responsibility to maintain the required balance after due diligence,” the official said, adding, “40,000 trees will be planted in lieu of the trees cut down.”
It was learnt the NHIDCL had come up with the idea of saving those trees by putting them right at the centre of the road but it was not found feasible due to paucity of land.
Work on the long-pending road project has started in four of the five packages.
The physical progress of package 1 is 2.66%. This package, covering 11.60 km and scheduled to be completed by February 2023, is being executed by SS Infrazone Pvt Ltd at an awarded cost of Rs 91.26 crore. This includes a four-lane road from Shillong till Upper Shillong.
The 71.5 km-long National Highway-40 will be converted into a four-lane highway from Umshyrpi bridge in Shillong to Baniun at 7th Mile in Upper Shillong after which it wil be a two-laned highway up to Dawki at an estimated cost of Rs 1,251 crore.
The NHIDCL has distanced itself from the controversy. Its executive Director, Shillong Narendra Sheoran said the cutting down of trees for road expansion is not under the company’s charter of duties.
Stating that the trees were felled by the Forest department, he said the NHIDCL’s role is limited to the construction of the road.
PIL in High Court
City-based lawyer, Kaustav Paul has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court of Meghalaya over the felling of trees at Upper Shillong.
The matter was registered as PIL No 7/2021 and was mentioned before the Division Bench of the Court on Wednesday.
Though there was no formal order, the Court directed that the PIL be listed for next Wednesday and simultaneously instructed the Advocate General Amit Kumar to ensure that no more trees are felled till the completion of the hearing.
