THINK-Supreme Court has given a very valuable comment regarding the connection between trees and construction of roads. If given a good consideration, both environment and human lives can be protected. A good campaign can be started to protect the trees that have seen eras and deserve to stay where they are.

The Krishna Goverdhan road construction project in Uttar Pradesh attracted the attention of Supreme Court. The area where the road is to be constructed has too many trees and as per the project requirement, they need to be felled. The state government said that the construction department has assured that an equal number of trees would be planted in a different area as compensation and that this would not the harm the environment.

The Supreme Court took to strictness and said that a 100 year old tree must not be felled and it cannot be compensated in any way. A new plantation would last for a much lesser time, probably a week or more. It is not appropriate that such old trees are felled. CJ Bobade issued directives that the trees are not to be felled, instead the road must be constructed in a zig-zag way. He said that after pondering on this road issue, he has come to the conclusion that since people habitually drive fast even in the city limits, straight roads are more than an opportunity for over-speeding. This results in accidents.

If roads are constructed in a zig-zag pattern based on the trees on the road, then this would result in reduction of speed of the vehicles and ultimately avoid accidents. CJ Bobade also directed the state government to clarify if the trees that are on that particular route are trees or mere bushes, or small trees or bigger trees and also asked them to identify the age of the trees. Trees are not merely wood. The oxygen producing capacity of the trees over the remaining life-span must be evaluated.

These points must be kept in mind for every road construction project since every now and then, trees are felled for the purpose of new roads and even for the broadening of roads. If a pattern for the road is followed based on the placement of the trees, then over-speeding will be immensely controlled resulting in reduction in the number of accidents.