The Uttar Pradesh government is set to chop about 55,000 trees in critical tiger habitats to build a road of strategic importance. According to a document accessed by IANS, the over 500-km-long Indo-Nepal Border Road project has been undertaken by the Public Works Department (PWD) of Uttar Pradesh. The road cuts through two tiger reserves and three wildlife sanctuaries spread across six districts along the Nepal border.

The official document states that of the 55,000 trees marked to be axed, many are over 200 years old. The project area, in the Terai region, is home to several endangered species of animals, including the tiger, leopard, bear, Swamp deer, Spotted deer, Hog deer, Barking deer and many other species of reptiles and birds.