Banda (Uttar Pradesh) / Chitrakoot: More than 1.89 lakh trees have been felled for the construction of the Bundelkhand expressway, according to an RTI response. The trees were cut in Banda, Chitrakoot, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Aurraiya and Etawah, it said. The 296-km long four-lane road will connect Etawah to Chitrakoot and Uttar Pradesh districts to the National Capital Region via Yamuna expressway.
In a reply to a query by Banda-based activist Kuldeep Shukla, senior manager of the state Forest Department, Atul Asthana, said that UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has cut 1,89,036 trees for the project. The UPEIDA has planned to plant over 2.70 lakh saplings along the expressway, the RTI added.
Banda Divisional Forest Officer Sanjay Agarwal said the trees were cut after permission from the Centre. The expressway will ensure better connectivity of the Bundelkhand area with the national capital region (NCR).
Chitrakoot is a famous pilgrimage centre and a city panchayat in Satna district in Madhya Pradesh. It is a place of religious, cultural, historical and archaeological importance, situated in the Bundelkhand region. It borders Chitrakoot district in Uttar Pradesh, whose headquarters Chiktrakoot Dham is located nearby. Chitrakoot lies in historical Chitrakoot region, which is divided between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. It is known for a number of temples and sites mentioned in Hindu scriptures.
