NGT Orders MP Forest Department To Plant 7,000 Trees For Bhopal Stadium Road

The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has been directed by the National Green Tribunal to plant 7,000 trees by September 30 to compensate for the approximately 700 trees that were cut down to build a road for the planned cricket stadium in Bhopal.

The direction came during proceedings concerning the felling of more than 700 trees and construction activity in the Bhoj Wetland catchment area near Neelbad-Barkheda Nathu in Bhopal, where a cricket stadium and an associated road project have been under investigation.

NGT Orders 7,000-Tree Plantation With 100% Survival Target

The bench, comprising Judicial Member Sheo Kumar Singh and Expert Member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, directed the Forest Department to ensure that the plantation is carried out as a genuine compensatory plantation and that the planted trees survive.

The tribunal stated in its ruling, 

“We anticipate that the Forest Department, Social Forestry, may plant the trees at a ratio of 10 times, i.e., 7,000 trees, in the current season and the exercise should be completed by September 30, 2026, in light of the cutting of 700 trees.”

The tribunal also directed that, after the plantation is completed, an action-taken report along with photographs be submitted before the next hearing. It also stated,

“It is made clear that the Forest Department must ensure that it is compensatory plantation and survival of the plants must be up to 100%.”

Applicant Flags Delay In Compensatory Plantation

The direction came in response to the main complaint of the applicant, environmentalist Nitin Saxena, who claimed that more than 700 trees had already been felled for road construction and that, despite money being deposited with the Revenue Department, the required compensatory plantation had not been started.

Prashant M. Harne, the State’s counsel, informed the tribunal during the hearing that efforts were being made to begin plantation during the current rainy season.

Officials Priti, SDO, and Shweta Singh also participated in the proceedings and informed the tribunal about the steps being taken by the authorities. According to their submissions, some plantation work had begun during the rainy season, but the process was delayed due to a lack of funds. They said preparations had been completed and that the department was working to complete the plantation during the current rainy season following the allocation of funds.

The officials also stated that the lack of land was one of the reasons why the plantation could not be started earlier.