NGT Stops Felling Of 8,000 Trees For Bhopal-Ayodhya Bypass Expansion
NGT halted felling of 8,000 trees for Bhopal's Ayodhya Bypass expansion, stressing development must protect the environment and calling trees the city's lungs.
Published : January 9, 2026 at 12:51 PM IST
Bhopal: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has refused to allow the cutting of nearly 8,000 trees for the expansion of Bhopal's Ayodhya Bypass Road. The tribunal has clearly stated that the stay order on tree felling will continue, putting the 10-lane road project on hold. The decision came in the case of Nitin Saxena versus the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
The bench, headed by Justice Shiv Kumar Singh along with expert member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi, stressed that development should not come at the cost of the environment. The tribunal said there is an urgent need for a strict and uniform national policy to regulate tree felling for infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, and highways.
The NGT has also transferred the case to its Principal Bench in New Delhi, indicating that the issue is not limited to Bhopal alone but has wider national importance. The tribunal aims to set guidelines that can be applied across the country to prevent large-scale destruction of trees in the name of development.
The proposed project involves widening a 16-kilometre stretch of the Ayodhya Bypass from Asaram Tiraha to Ratnagiri Tiraha via Karond. Environmentalists claim that between 8,000 and 12,000 trees would be cut if the project goes ahead. The NGT described these trees as the 'lungs of Bhopal', highlighting their importance for clean air, climate balance and public health.
During the hearing, the petitioners argued that the trees are essential for the city's ecological balance and cannot be treated as mere obstacles to development. The NHAI, on the other hand, defended the project, saying it is necessary to meet the growing traffic needs of the city and should be completed on time.
An appeal against the earlier stay order had also been filed in the Supreme Court, but was later withdrawn. However, since no official documents were submitted to confirm this, the NGT made it clear that no further hearings will take place until the Supreme Court appeal status is fully clarified.
The tribunal also reaffirmed a Madhya Pradesh High Court order stating that no tree can be cut or even pruned without prior approval from the NGT committee.
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