India to chop down 2.3 million trees to make way for big infrastructure projects

The felling of trees has irked many who have called it 'business as usual for the government'

Forest department officials cut down trees to make way for a motorway in India's Assam state, in 2010. EPA

India will cut down 2.3 million trees to make way for large-scale infrastructure projects across the country, a move that has triggered widespread condemnation from environmentalists.

Federal Environment Minister Ashwini Choubey told parliament on Thursday that his ministry had cleared about 90 projects, including motorways, airports, ports and thermal power infrastructure.

Many of the projects will cut through protected areas and require a lot of trees to be felled.

“Over the last three years [2020 to 2022], about 31 projects related to highways, 11 projects related to ports, 15 projects related to airports, 20 projects related to river valleys and 10 projects related to thermal power plants have been granted environmental clearance by the ministry,” Mr Choubey said.

“Out of these, three projects are related to highways which are passing through protected areas. About 2.3 million trees have been proposed to be removed for the development of these projects.”

He told the parliament that a compensatory tree-planting drive would be carried out.

Mr Choubey spoke about the projects after opposition Congress politician Vivek Tankha raised questions about environmental clearances for infrastructure projects and asked whether the projects would pass through protected areas.

The response has drawn criticism and outrage from environmentalists and others, including journalists.

“While most of the cities of India are gasping for breath and have a poor to severe air regime, the government in its ‘wisdom’ of ‘growth’ proposes to CHOP over 2.3 million (23 lakh) trees,” environmentalist Vimlendu Jha said on Twitter.

“Do we realise that we're building a breathless nation? Why can’t we ‘build’ around trees and not over them?”

Some people also questioned the government’s decision of felling trees at a time when the Himalayan Hindu pilgrimage town of Joshimath was crumbling due to subsidence.

When asked about the sinking town, where about 700 buildings developed large cracks because of subsidence due to infrastructure projects, and whether the projects in the region were subjected to environmental and social impact reviews, Mr Choubey said “all assessments are project specific”.

Experts have attributed the subsidence to the rampant infrastructure construction, which they said had damaged the region's ecological balance.

Mr Choubey’s response has irked many who have called it “business as usual for the government”.

Film director Veena Bakshi said the 2.3 million trees earmarked for chopping down amount “to an entire forest. Just another day for a government who hasn't batted an eyelid at the subsidence of Joshimath”.

Renowned journalist Pamela Philipose said: “Looks like we will have to reconcile ourselves to more Joshimaths … Environment minister (do you know his name even?) says 2.3 million trees will be removed for mega infrastructure projects. Business carries on, environment be damned!”