Promised relocation, but dozens of trees go missing from Lucknow's ‘Green' route

Hindustan Times

4 days ago

Over 150 fully grown trees between Hanuman Setu and Nishatganj were suspected to have been axed by authorities despite Lucknow Development Authority's (LDA's) assurances of relocating them. People seen removing logs from axed trees on Hanuman Setu-Nishatganj stretch on Friday (Mushtaq Ali/HT)
The said stretch is a part of the under-construction Green Corridor project.
On July 19, LDA had said that over 150 trees obstructing the upcoming corridor's path would be uprooted and relocated with expert assistance. The corridor, spanning 28 km from IIM Road to Kisan Path, is being developed to ease traffic flow and reduce travel time.
The incident has sparked public anger with environmentalists, activists and others concerned stating that LDA misled the public by claiming no trees would be felled. Sources stated that several trees were cut because they were obstructing the ongoing construction.
When this reporter visited the spot on Friday evening, multiple trees were found missing, and a vehicle was seen transporting logs, believed to be from uprooted trees, away from the site.
'Instead of relocating, the trees have simply been axed. The area now looks cleaned up as if there were never any trees here,' said Rishi Sonker, who regularly commutes on the stretch and was at the spot. He added that he had earlier seen tree roots being dug out, but the Friday's incident didn't look like it involved any scientific relocation.
Some demanded that an independent inquiry be launched and action be taken against officials involved in the alleged cover-up. 'This is not the first time that LDA has made tall claims about environmental responsibility. But its actions repeatedly contradict the promises,' said environmentalist Amit Srivastava.
An LDA official, requesting anonymity, said while the forest department had permitted the felling of some trees that couldn't be relocated, the authority planned to plant five saplings for every tree cut down. 'We considered environmental concerns seriously, but older trees often don't survive translocation,' the official said.
Despite attempts, LDA secretary Vivek Srivastava did not respond to calls seeking clarification on the authority's move.
Activists also argued that compensatory plantation cannot substitute for decades-old green cover. 'You cannot replicate a 40-year-old tree with a sapling. These decisions must be transparent and accountable,' said Shalini Yadav, an urban ecology researcher.
Earlier, LDA had claimed to have relocated 21 fully grown native trees, which included peepal, neem, pilkhan, and jamun, from the Hanuman Setu area to Gomti Riverfront. Divisional commissioner Roshan Jacob had inaugurated the drive. LDA vice-chairman Prathamesh Kumar had stated that 166 trees on the 4-km stretch would be shifted without felling.