(a) whether the Government has any policy with regard to planting of trees in place of trees cut due to widening of national highways;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the number of trees cut and planted as a result of widening of national highways; and
(c) the action taken by the Government against those road construction companies which do not plant trees in place of trees cut for construction of roads as per the Government policy, along with the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS (SHRI KRISHANPAL GURJAR)
(a) to (c) As per the extant policy, while upgrading/widening of National Highways, existing trees are generally preserved and no indiscriminate felling of trees are resorted to. The existing roadside trees, which are serious threat to safety, are removed immediately and trees within 10m of the centerline of extreme traffic lane are removed gradually after planting alternative trees. This is also a part of fulfillment of clearance conditions, and the amount for plantation is deposited with the concerned forest department. Planting in such cases is done by the forest department. However, under different contracts, the work of tree planting is assigned to construction companies in some cases; which are governed under the relevant contract/concession agreement.