Agra Development Authority (ADA) has initiated the construction of a nearly 20-foot-deep drain in the Artoni area of Sikandra. This development comes despite the lack of Supreme Court approval for the removal of 203 trees along the project’s route. Recent Right to Information (RTI) records obtained by the Times of India (TOI) highlight this oversight. The construction follows a tragic incident at the site where two laborers lost their lives due to a trench collapse, raising further questions about safety and regulatory compliance in the ongoing project.
The RTI, filed by an Agra-based environmentalist, showed that forest department had repeatedly written to ADA since 2023 asking it to obtain the required permission before felling the trees. The clearance had not been secured even though construction had already progressed substantially.
Forest department had meanwhile identified land for compensatory plantation of 2,030 trees and sent ADA an estimate of around Rs 25 lakh for the exercise. The disclosure has added another layer to scrutiny of the project after labourers Vikas Kumar, 28, and Sushil Singh , 45, both from Muzaffarnagar, died when a 15-foot-deep trench collapsed while they were working inside it. Rescue teams pulled them out after around 45 minutes using a bulldozer and shovels .Labourers at the site alleged that the contractor had failed to provide adequate safety measures.
Because the trees fell within a protected regulatory framework, ADA was required to approach SC for permission before cutting them. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Agra | Silver Rate in Agra | Bank Holidays in Agra | Public Holidays in Agra | Agra AQI | Weather in Agra | Petrol Price in Agra | Diesel Price in Agra | CNG Price in Agra | LPG Price in Agra Stay updated with the latest Agra news.
ADA chief engineer Sanjeev Kumar said the authority had obtained necessary approvals for construction but acknowledged that permission relating to the trees was still pending. Work in that portion will begin after permission is granted,” he said. A third worker suffered serious injuries and remained under treatment. An initial ADA inquiry found that workers had removed support rods from shuttering installed along both sides of the excavated trench before entering it. The removal weakened the support system and triggered the cave-in, burying all three workers. “For the trees, an application has been submitted through forest department. Download the TOI App.