By Special Correspondent
Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee on Monday strongly opposed large-scale tree felling being carried out in the name of the Ayodhya Bypass project in Bhopal. Party spokesperson Abhinav Barolia visited the site and described the move as a direct assault on public health and environmental rights.
Barolia expressed shock that permission had reportedly been granted to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to cut 7,881 trees despite the matter being sub judice before the National Green Tribunal (NGT). He said the decision exposed the hollowness of the government’s claims on environmental protection.
“Trees are not obstacles to development but the foundation of life. What is happening on the Ayodhya Bypass is not development but the snatching away of people’s right to breathe,” he said.
Drawing parallels with environmental damage in regions such as Aravalis, Chhattisgarh, Singrauli and along national highways, Barolia warned that the same pattern was now visible in Bhopal. He demanded an immediate halt to the felling, strict compliance with NGT directions and accountability from authorities, asserting that the Congress would continue its protest alongside the public.
