The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the Red Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor project’s contractor to place on record a fresh report to demonstrate a plan for replacing the trees felled for the project.
The high court also directed the chief executive officer (CEO) of Trans Karachi, a company executing the BRT corridor project, and Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) managing director (MD) to assist it regarding when the debris and construction material lying on the site would be removed so that tree planation could be made possible.
The SHC issued these directions in a matter pertaining to felling of a large number of trees on University Road for the construction of the Red Line corridor. The petitioners, Shahnawaz and others, had submitted that hundreds of old trees were cut down within the jurisdiction of the Cantonment Board Malir (CBM) to make way for the BRT corridor.
The high court was earlier informed that the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) had granted approval for the subject contract on the condition that the contractor would plant five trees for every single tree felled.
The SHC observed that the inventory submitted by the agency indicated that approximately 3,802 trees were cut down in the course of the project and as per the stipulated policy, the contractor was obligated to plant five trees for each tree removed.
The petitioners informed the high court that the contractor had not fulfilled its responsibility yet despite the court orders. A counsel for the contractor sought time from the high court to submit a fresh report to demonstrate its plan to replace the felled trees for the project.
He told the SHC that the project was still under construction and plantation of trees may not be possible as debris and construction material was lying at the site. A division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Adnan Iqbal Chaudhry directed the Trans Karachi CEO and SMTA MD to appear in person and explain as to when the debris and construction material lying on the site will be removed so that tree planation could be possible.
It is pertinent to mention that the SHC had earlier ordered that no trees shall be cut down in the future within the province of Sindh and directed the secretary of the forest department to ensure that no trees were cut down without prior approval and conduct a region-wise survey of the trees within the city.
The SHC also directed the mayor to ensure that no trees were felled within the city unless absolutely necessary. The SHC had observed that in cases of such necessity, the concerned tree must be relocated to an appropriate location. The bench had observed that the responsibility lied solely with the forest department and shall not be assumed by the local government.
The high court had also ordered that in case removal of any tree was deemed necessary, permission must be obtained from the sessions judge of the relevant district who was serving as the head of the committee in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court.
