Overview
- An NGT bench led by Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana ordered a stop to cutting trees along the Ayodhya Bypass, citing outstanding case materials, with the matter next listed for January 8, 2026.
- The order permits the National Highways Authority of India to continue project activities that do not involve felling trees until further directions.
- The NHAI project plans to expand the existing four-lane stretch into six lanes with two service lanes on each side, creating a 10-lane corridor.
- An NGT-appointed committee had earlier conditionally cleared the felling of 7,871 trees, requiring the planting of 10 saplings per tree, and the NHAI says survival will be tracked through monitoring and accountability measures.
- Large-scale cutting had started in recent days, drawing protests from local residents and the Bhopal district Congress, while experts warn that saplings cannot quickly replace the ecological benefits of mature trees.