HC Cracks Down on Tree Felling, Questions NHAI’s Plantation Claims on NH-33

Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court has taken a stringent view of large-scale tree felling during the widening of the Hazaribagh–Barhi section of NH-33 and the claims related to compensatory plantation. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Rajesh Shankar took suo motu cognisance of the matter on Wednesday.

During the hearing, the Project Director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) appeared in person before the court. The bench sought a detailed account of the expenditure incurred on plantation over the past five years. The Project Director informed the court that around 20,000 saplings had been planted along the Hazaribagh–Barhi stretch of the highway.

NHAI further claimed that nearly Rs 8 crore had been spent on the purchase and plantation of these saplings. However, counsel for the petitioner, Indrajeet Samanta, termed these claims misleading and raised serious doubts about their implementation on the ground. The court expressed deep concern over the issue.

The High Court observed that the crucial question was how the loss of old and massive trees felled in the name of development would be compensated. The bench noted that if greenery was still not visible along the roadside despite an expenditure of Rs 8 crore, it pointed to a waste of public money and a blatant disregard for environmental protection.

The court is expected to closely monitor the matter and seek accountability from the authorities responsible for executing the plantation work.