Official data obtained through the Right to Information Act reveals that over 1,06,000 mature trees have been felled in Assam since May 2016 for infrastructure and industrial development projects. 

Key Findings from the Data

• 1,06,896 mature trees have reportedly been cut across 15 forest divisions of Assam since 2016.
• Around 26,000 trees were felled in notified forest areas, while the rest were removed from non-forest land.
• Nearly 84,000 trees were cut for government projects, including:
  • National highways and road expansion
  • Bridges and flyovers
  • Medical colleges and public infrastructure
• More than 10,000 trees were cut for private projects, including oil exploration by Oil India Limited and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.

Major infrastructure projects like National Highway expansion and construction of Darrang Medical College required large-scale clearing of land.

Government Response

The Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department of Assam stated that tree felling was done out of “dire necessity” for development projects. To compensate for the loss of green cover, the government has taken large plantation drives.

• 3.5 crore saplings have been planted in the last two years.
• Under the Amrit Briksha Andolan, one crore saplings were planted in a single day.
• According to official data, over 70 percent of planted saplings have survived.

Environmental Concerns Raised by Experts

Environmental scientists warn that planting saplings cannot immediately replace mature trees.

• A mature tree stores large amounts of carbon and supports biodiversity, something a sapling takes decades to achieve.
• Cutting large numbers of trees may affect microclimate, soil health and wildlife habitats.
• Experts also expressed concern that no ecological impact assessment studies were conducted in many divisions before tree felling.

Under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and the Environment Impact Assessment framework, ecological impacts are ideally assessed before major land-use changes.

Exam Hook

Statement Based Question

Consider the following statements regarding tree felling and environmental governance in India:

1. The Forest Conservation Act, 1980 regulates diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes.
2. The Environment Impact Assessment framework evaluates environmental impacts of major development projects.
3. Planting saplings immediately replaces the ecological functions of mature trees.

Which of the above statements are correct?

A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: B

One-Line Wrap

The felling of over one lakh trees in Assam highlights the urgent need to balance infrastructure development with long-term ecological sustainability.

Source