00:00And staying with what's making our air polluted, while that is a reality, while eight years of your life is
00:08just stripped off by breathing, that's all you have to do in Delhi NCR to strip off eight years of
00:13your life.
00:14But somebody thought that Noida should get rid of its biodiversity park right as we battle air pollution.
00:22Noida is battling rising pollution, but instead of steps to tackle the crisis, the controversy over trees felling at one
00:29of its most green spaces is dominating headlines.
00:33Environmental activists allege that trees are being cut beyond permitted limits at the biodiversity park in Noida sector 137, where
00:40the deer park is coming up.
00:42India Today's Ashitosh Mishra reports on what we found at the site for ourselves and what the forest department is
00:49saying.
00:58Noida is battling poor air quality with pollution levels expected to worsen in coming days.
01:04And amid concerns over toxic air,
01:08A controversy has erupted over tree felling at Noida's Biodiversity Park.
01:20Environmental activists have alleged large-scale tree cutting, raising questions over whether the number of trees felled has exceeded the
01:28permitted limit.
01:29India Today visited the park to assess the situation.
01:35We found eucalyptus trees cut and uprooted at several spots.
01:40Even mature people trees have been felled.
01:44Signs of tree cutting were also visible near the proposed quarantine centre.
01:48However, we could not independently verify the total number of trees felled.
01:57Delhi, NCR and perhaps most of our cities are breathing in toxic air.
02:01These forests are our lungs.
02:04And when we see in the biodiversity park in the name of beautification, relocation of deer,
02:09you chop off heavy trees, then there is a question.
02:12Can there not be a plan B?
02:14Can there not be a contingency plan?
02:15Can there not be a better plan to ensure green cover remain intact?
02:19And at the same time, you do the beautification that why not think a plan B to save these our
02:25green lungs,
02:26our cover, our green forest area instead of deforest, you know, deforestification that we're seeing taking across these place.
02:34In the relocation of the plants cannot be an alternative or the replacement of chopping off our forest and green
02:40cover.
02:43The NOIDA authority has sought permission to fell 200 trees and transplant 331 trees and plants for a proposed deer
02:52park.
02:54The Forest Department granted permission to fell 100 trees on each of two occasions.
03:03NOIDA DFO Rajnikand Mittal told India Today that the department will inspect the site.
03:09If more than the permitted 200 trees have been cut, action will be taken as per rules.
03:19The proposed deer park will cover 30 acres within the 75-acre biodiversity park in sector 91.
03:27Inaugurated in 2021, the park adds to NOIDA's green cover.
03:33The construction is underway for the deer enclosures, an animal shelter and a quarantine centre.
03:39The authorities aim to open the deer park in December.
03:43A Niawaki forest is also being developed to add to the green cover.
03:50But with NOIDA already battling pollution, concerns remain over the loss of mature trees.
04:00Chop off our lungs, is it worth, the activists are raising alarm, there can be an alternative
04:06plan, there can be a plan B, instead of cutting those massive trees, the authorities come in
04:12cover up, they say it is a eucalyptus tree, we found, again, people trees were also chopped
04:16off and there are certain things that is happening.
04:19It is time to consume when we are already breathing in a toxic air.
04:23Can this really be a plan to decorate a city?
04:26That's the larger question.
04:28With India Today, this is Ashutosh Mishra, bringing you this report.
