The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a temporary ban on cutting trees to widen the “Ayodhya Bypass,” a four-lane road in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. This ban will be in place until January 8, 2026, pending further decisions during the next hearing. The NGT’s decision follows protests from local residents and the opposition Congress party.
The dispute revolves around the Ayodhya Bypass, a key road in Bhopal where extensive tree cutting has commenced for a road expansion project. The plan involves expanding the four-lane road to six lanes, with two service lanes on each side, making it a 10-lane corridor. The project is being carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
After objections from environmentalists and civil society groups, the matter was taken to the NGT, which formed a committee to evaluate the project. The committee granted conditional approval to cut 7,871 trees, down from the initial estimate of 10,000, with a requirement to plant 10 saplings for each tree removed, totaling around 80,000 saplings.
While the NHAI assures that the plantation efforts will be actively monitored and ensure sapling survival, experts highlight that replacing mature trees with saplings may not offer the same ecological benefits immediately. Consequently, the NGT has ordered a halt to tree cutting until the next hearing scheduled for January 8, 2026.
