Road development in Punjab has progressed very well. The main roads, being wide, allow for comfortable travel to destinations, avoiding city congestion. Now, a hundred-kilometer stretch along the India-Pakistan international border is being connected to the national highway network. This undoubtedly has significant national and strategic importance. Road construction was underway, but the Punjab and Haryana High Court imposed a complete ban on cutting trees that were obstructing the road development in the Mahilad area.
Now, considering the construction and the need of the hour, the High Court has granted some relaxation in this ban. The court has allowed the National Highways Authority to complete its project. However, it has stipulated that there should be no environmental destruction. The High Court bench, comprising the Chief Justice and Justice Sanjeev Berry, has clarified that for every tree cut under this project, it will be mandatory to plant ten times the number of trees. However, some other practical difficulties were presented before the court. The court has also taken cognizance of these.
They stated that while they have banned tree cutting, this ban will not apply to dead trees or dangerous trees that could cause accidents. These can be cut with the permission of the competent authority. Furthermore, poplar and eucalyptus trees planted on private land can also be cut; the ban will not apply to them either. This decision is practical in itself because three years ago in Chandigarh, a student died and several others were injured when a similar tree fell at a school. The Advocate General brought this to the court’s attention. Road construction is undoubtedly for the betterment of society.
Road transport is also becoming easier, but the indiscriminate cutting of trees has affected the environment not only in the plains but also in the mountains. The four-lane roads being built in the mountains have made the mountains dangerously unstable. In
Punjab, there is already a law in place to protect the greenery, mandating that for every tree cut down, ten must be planted. However, no one bothers to check where and by whom these ten trees are planted after a tree is felled. While development is necessary, environmental protection is equally crucial.