As per a decision made earlier, many trees along Kalanki-Koteshwor section of the rind road would have been felled starting Sunday as the district forest office at Lalitpur and Kathmandu have already permitted the department of road (DoR) to cut down 1,239 trees alongside the road.
Ashok Tiwari, chief at the DoR, said that there is no alternative of cutting down the trees in order to expand the road to 8 lanes as proposed. “However, the further strategy for this will be decided in a meeting to be held on Sunday in the presence of all stakeholders,” he said.
According to Pramada Shah, campaigner associated with Tree Liberation Army, plantation alone is not a solution to the felling of trees, which is going to have multidimensional impact. “Even urban road experts have suggested that we can still save the trees while expanding the road. We are going to interact with the government officials seriously about it in the upcoming meeting,” she said. “Even if they talk of plantation, it needs 10 years at the minimum for them to grow to full size. So not saving the trees already we have is going to cost us dearly,” she added.
Environmentalists are concerned that cutting down trees in such huge numbers would affect not only the atmosphere but also various species of birds which rely on those trees for habitat. Senior ornithologist Hem Sagar Baral estimates that 110 species of birds have been nesting in the Valley.
“The tall trees around the 27 km area of the ring road are home to cuckoo, house crow, jungle crow, black kite, owl, small cranes and creepers. Similarly, bats are also among the major species in those trees. The government must ensure that the trees would be replaced in the area once the construction works are over,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ajit Karna, district forest officer at Lalitpur, informed that the department has already studied the trees that need to be chopped. “Road expansion is the need of the time. But it would be better if they have proper plans for plantation along the roadside. We are unaware if there is such a plan.”
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