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Data obtained through a Right to Information application has shown that more than 83,000 trees were felled in Uttarakhand over the past five years for highway construction works. Most of the tree loss occurred on major national highway stretches executed by the National Highways Authority of India. While authorities have stated that compensatory plantations were carried out, detailed project-wise plantation data was not available in several cases. The disclosures have renewed focus on how environmental safeguards are implemented during large infrastructure projects in ecologically sensitive regions.
Information accessed through an RTI application has revealed that 83,381 trees were cut in Uttarakhand over the last five years to facilitate national highway projects. The works were largely executed by the National Highways Authority of India, according to official records shared in response to the query. Advertisement
The highest number of trees were felled for the Kashipur-Sitarganj stretch of National Highway-74, where 45,681 trees were removed. Another major contributor was the Rampur-Kathgodam section of NH-87, which accounted for 15,257 trees. Smaller but significant numbers were also reported across other highway projects in the state, collectively taking the total beyond 83,000.
Officials responding to the RTI stated that plantation activities were undertaken against the trees felled and that the planted saplings were surviving. However, they also clarified that detailed plantation data for some ongoing projects, including bypass works, could not be shared as records were still being compiled. This has resulted in incomplete disclosure for certain stretches.
As per Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) guidelines, agencies are required to plant ten saplings for every tree cut. Based on this norm, the reported felling would require more than 8.3 lakh saplings to be planted. Environmental activists have pointed out that while compensatory afforestation is mandated, its on-ground execution and long-term monitoring often remain unclear.
The RTI reply also showed that only 162 trees were transplanted during this period, of which 139 survived, at a total cost of INR 82.7 lakh. Activists who sought the information have questioned the low number of transplantations compared to the scale of tree cutting, especially in a hill state where forest cover plays a critical role in slope stability and water retention.
Infrastructure expansion in Uttarakhand has increased steadily in recent years to improve connectivity to hill towns and border areas. Experts note that while road development is essential, better alignment planning and stricter enforcement of afforestation conditions could help reduce environmental impact in future projects.
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