NGT Panel Requests Extension for Upper Ganga Road Project Report

NGT Panel Requests Extension for Upper Ganga Road Project Report
An expert committee formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to examine various environmental factors related to the proposed 111 km Upper Ganga Canal Road project has requested additional time from the green court to prepare a comprehensive final report, which will include a carbon impact assessment.
Known as the Kanwar Marg project, the road extends from Murad Nagar in Ghaziabad to Purkazi near the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border. It was approved by the Uttar Pradesh forest department in January, with the proposal allowing the felling of 112,000 trees across protected forest zones in Ghaziabad, Meerut, and Muzaffarnagar.
Environmental advocates have raised concerns, warning that such extensive deforestation could harm the region’s biodiversity. Following an HT report highlighting these issues, NGT registered a Suo moto petition on March 13, adding state officials from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as respondents.
At a November 6 hearing, the expert committee submitted an interim report, which stated, “The Public Works Department (PWD) will prepare and submit a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report on the tree-cutting, addressing the implications on air quality and other ecological factors.” The report also revealed that 17,607 trees have been felled across the three districts as of August 9.
NGT has instructed the committee to expedite the final report submission without delay.
During the hearing, the court reviewed a revised approval to fell 112,722 trees; however, the current limit has been adjusted to 33,776 trees. The order was placed on hold on November 8, and the PWD informed that it is collaborating with environmental experts to conduct a carbon impact assessment analysing the project’s carbon footprint alongside the EIA.