Ranchi, March 28: What would you call 10 to 12 feet high greenery spread over acres of land — trees or saplings?

This is the question asked about 80,000 acacia and other varieties of trees planted in Maithan area of Dhanbad district in 1997. The answer is significant because the forest department has to give clearance to the proposed 1000-mw Maithon Right Bank Thermal Power project to be set up on the 176 hectares of land, along the the Damodar river bank. The land comprises 96 hectares of forest area and 80 hectares of government land.

“Whether we call them trees or saplings, in either case clearance has to be given, for the sake of development. But once the area is identified as dense forest land and not saplings, the forests department will have to plant an equal number of trees elsewhere under the Forests Conservation (Amendment) Act 2000,” sources said.

However, the forests department, which had planted the saplings in 1997, has described the land “not fertile” for forest growth after a recent field visit on February 22.

“The forest department has sought the easier way out because it may have to plant an equal number of trees if the greenery in the area is not categorised as saplings,” sources said.

With the Jharkhand Pollution Control Board (JPCB) being firm on conducting an environment management programme (EMP) by an outside agency, the forests department may find it difficult to “bypass” the Forest Act, sources said.

“We are not shying away from planting an equal number of trees elsewhere. But you cannot call 10 to 12 feet high greenery trees. Besides, we have not yet given the clearance, as it is not in the jurisdiction of the Union forest department,” said principal chief conservator of forests J.L. Srivastava. He, however, added that in case the Jharkhand Pollution Control Board comes out with a different finding, “we will plant trees elsewhere”.

The issue of giving clearance for the power project has been pending with the department for the past three years.

“According to the Forest Act, prior to 1994, only the environment impact assessment (EIA) and guidelines on the environment management programme were taken into account before issuing an NoC. But after a new regulation, a public hearing was made mandatory, which we will carry out along with EIA and EMP,” JPCB member secretary S.K. Narnoli said.