Patna: Patna high court on Wednesday directed the state govt and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to submit reports on the steps taken to plant and conserve trees along national and state highways in Bihar.A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sudhir Singh and Justice Rajesh Kumar Verma passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Shambhu Sharan Singh.Advocate Shambhu Sharan, the petitioner, pleaded for an urgent judicial direction to NHAI and state’s forest and road construction departments for a massive plantation drive on flanks of 6,147-km national highway (NH), passing across the state. He submitted that widening and conversion of state highways into national highways had resulted in the removal of thousands of trees along the highway flanks.Singh told the court that trees along highways helped check soil erosion and air pollution and argued that their plantation and conservation had become necessary.He also raised concerns over an alleged lack of coordination between the NHAI and the state forest department, which he said, had delayed plantation along the recently constructed Patna-Gaya-Dobhi National Highway.The bench directed the state and central authorities to file their respective replies within two weeks. The matter will next be heard on Aug 19.
