Angul: Over a thousand trees are being chopped down every year to make way for roads in Angul district at a time when climate change is posing a serious threat to the world.
The mass chopping of trees has once again come to stark focus on World Environment Day, which was marked across the world Monday.
While proper road connectivity is essential to usher in growth, the agencies that are responsible for building the roads are chopping down thousands of large trees every year to make way for road works.
A social activist Debasish Pattnaik sought information from the Angul forest division under Right to Information (RTI) Act over the number of trees felled every year for road expansion works under its jurisdiction. The reply was quite startling and is indicative of a rampant deforestation without any regard to its consequences.
According to data furnished by the forest department, from 2010-10 till 2016-17, over 3,678 trees were chopped down by the works department in the areas under its jurisdiction. Over 3,024 trees were felled for building 48 km of roads from Angul to Chhendipada from 2010-11 and 2012-13.
Similarly, for 12 km of road from Chhendipada to Bagedia-Aaunli, over 114 trees were chopped down in 2013-14. Around 60 trees were felled for road construction in Angul town in 2010-11 while 102 trees were felled for road construction from Sankhapur to Karatpata in Angul during 2010-11.
A total of 343 trees were felled for Angul-Mahidharpur road work during 2010-11 to 2013-14. Currently, 35 trees were felled for road expansion work from Juvenile Home Square to Panchayat Industry Square.
Not only state highways, a large number of trees have also been chopped down for expansion works of three National Highways that run through the district. While 1016 trees have been chopped down for the three highways in 2016-17, over 2737 trees were felled for exapansion works of NH-55 from Angul to Sambalpur.
This apart, trees have been chopped down for other works. While 304 trees were felled for establishment of Angul-Jharsuguda power grid, 622 trees were chopped down for laying the IOCL oil pipelines from Paradip to Ranchi via Raipur. Similarly, 989 trees were felled for Talcher-Bimlagarh railway project, the RTI reply said. PNN
