Cutting of 1006 Eucalyptus trees okayed by Uttarakhand HC
The Uttarakhand High Court rejected the appeal filed by Ashish Kumar Garg against the cutting of trees for the purpose of widening the road from Jogiwala/ Ladpur/ Sahastradhara Crossing/ Krishali Square/ Pacific Golf Estate in Dehradun.
The state authorities, August 16, 2022 informed the High Court that out of 1006 Eucalyptus trees which were required to be cut for the project of road widening, 528 Eucalyptus trees have already been cut down up to August 4, 2022.
Further, the DFO (Divisional Forest Officer), Mussoorie has vide his letter, April 4, 2022 has said that the Eucalyptus trees, which are within the Right of Way (ROW), had been planted in the year 1976, and the said trees are oversized and have already completed their rotation period (optimum age).
The High Court said that "though, there is no denying the fact that the cutting of the 1006 Eucalyptus trees would, at least for some time, adversely impact the environment, and also affect the birds and insects which nest in such trees, looking to the extent of forest cover in the Doon Valley itself, and the state of Uttarakhand as a whole, we cannot accept the submission that the species of birds and insects, which nest on trees, including Eucalyptus trees, would be rendered vulnerable."