State Environment and Forest Minister, James K. Sangma has said that the government will compensate for felling of tress at Upper Shillong by afforestation which will be undertaken at Nongumiang, West Khasi Hills district.
“In order to compensate for the loss, compensatory afforestation would be undertaken in an equivalent non-forest area provided by NHIDCL at Nongumiang, West Khasi Hills district in accordance with the provision of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980,” Sangma said.
He also said that for every single tree felled for any purpose outside the forest land, ten trees shall have to be planted as compensation in order to ensure that the environment is protected.
On the present instance of felling of trees at Upper Shillong for 4-laning project of the Shillong-Dawki road, Sangma said that being a major road project for which 16.107 hectares of forest land is affected “felling of trees in unavoidable”.
“However, care has been taken to ensure that only those standing trees which are considered absolutely necessary are permitted to be felled,” the Minister said.
He also informed that the aged Cryptomeria Japonica heritage trees along the road side from Upper Shillong to Baniun adjacent to Eastern Air Command headquarters have been shielded except for eight trees including two diseased standing trees whose felling was absolutely necessary.
Sangma said that to safeguard the heritage trees NHIDCL reduced the Right of Way (ROW) from standard 45-60 meters for 4-laning to bare minimum 24-meters with the utility provisions like water pipe lines and electricity.
“To reduce ROW, standard median of 2.5 meters has been reduced to a bare minimum of 06 meters.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma tweeted, “These images are indeed disturbing I have
