More than 5,100 trees will be felled in Delhi during the construction of the six-lane Delhi-Saharanpur highway by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), according to official documents.
A total of 9.58 hectares of deemed forest land in Delhi having 5,104 trees has been diverted for the construction of the highway.
According to the Deputy Conservator of Forest (Central), all the 5,104 trees on the deemed forest land will be felled and compensatory afforestation will be raised at NTPC Eco Park, Badarpur at a cost of Rs 8.66 crore.
The Delhi portion of the Delhi-Saharanpur highway extends from the Akshardham NH-9 junction to the city's border with Uttar Pradesh.
According to the site inspection report of the Deputy Conservator of Forest or DCF, no violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 was reported.
Also, the forest patch is not a part of a national park, a wildlife sanctuary, a biosphere reserve, a tiger reserve, an elephant reserve or a wildlife migration corridor, and also does not fall within any eco-sensitive zone.
However, the Okhla Bird Sanctuary is located at a distance of 5.45 km from the site.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Supreme Court Seeks Bihar Government Response On Bridge Collapse Incidents National Highway Authority Of India Not Facing Financial Crises: Nitin Gadkari Fix Your FASTag On Windshield Else Pay Double. See New SOPs Life On Earth Originates From One Ancestor, Older Than Previously Believed Send Reports Every 2 Hours: Centre To States On Kolkata Horror Protests For Debate Against Kamala Harris, Donald Trump Picks This Hindu American 7 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Russia, Tsunami Warning Issued Prohibitory Orders In Kolkata Amid Protests Over Doctor's Rape-Murder Gaza Records First Polio Case In 25 Years As UN Urges Vaccinations Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.