Felling of trees comes in the way of Old Delhi-Gurgaon road expansion

The ongoing construction and repair work on the badly damaged Old Delhi-Gurgaon road has stopped for the last three weeks and is likely to be postponed indefinitely, as the forest department has cited objection to the felling of trees for the project.

As per forest department officials, any agency (MCG) responsible for cutting trees for a project needs to carry out ten time compulsory afforestation (reestablishing forest cover).

A norm not followed by Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) forest department officials claim.

The development of the road is vital for commuters as the stretch is one of the crucial roads between the capital and the city apart from NH 8 and MG Road.

In the interim, widening of the road (which has been conceptualized since 2012) to six lanes on the 7.8- km road is stuck and commuters brace with snarls as a section of the stretch has been barricaded for construction work.

“We had applied for an NOC from forest department four months ago and they are yet to issue the same. In its absence construction has been indefinitely halted,” Amit Khatri, Additional Commissioner of MCG said.

However, when asked forest department officials claim they are yet to receive any NOC from MCG .

“MCG has not submitted any detailed project report on the road or sent an assurance of afforestation. Hence, objections were cited,” a senior forest department official said.

As per officials in the engineering department the work has progressed at a slow pace owing to several offices and residential complexes located on the stretch that is hampering construction.

The road’s construction has faced several delays. Last year, residents of the Dundahera villages opposed the construction work as they claimed the height of the road will lead to rainwater entering their houses during monsoon. The matter was resolved when MCG officials assured that a stormwater drain will be established there.

Aside from widening the road, certain other development part of the 56 crore project include maintenance of signboards, installation of streetlights and horticulture, construction of service lanes and cycle tracks are also part of the project.