PESHAWAR, Sep 7: Plantation of saplings in the area where more than 1,150 trees are being cut for a road widening project in the Malakand region is likely to hit snags.

The fate of the provincial environment department's claim submitted to the Frontier Highway Authority (FHA) for plantation along the under-construction Landakai-Chakdarra road hangs in the balance because of the finances involved, Dawn has learnt.

The authorities have to cut 1,174 trees along the 12km stretch between Landakai and Chakdarra, where a road-widening project is being executed. The environment department had submitted a claim of Rs21 million to the FHA for plantation in the area where hundreds of trees had to be cut for the project, an official said.

"The claim was submitted to the FHA in May for providing funds top lant saplings along the road," an official said. He said the FHA, which was supervising the Rs140 million project, had been sent a reminder by the environment department in this regard but the authority had not responded.

He said that under the rules 50 sapling had to be planted for every tree cut after approval from the competent authorities. In the light of the rule, about 58,700 saplings are required to be planted along the road.

Launched in February, the project, under which the width of the road would be increased from 6m to 7.31m, is to be completed by June 2005. "We would see whether the project's finances allow us to release the funds or not," said an FHA official.

The official said the provision of funds for plantation would not be possible if the agency found it difficult to complete the project within the estimated cost.

"The construction cost is going up and our first priority is to complete the project," said the official. Environmentalists had opposed the cutting of trees on the grounds that it would lead to local warming and affect the beauty for which the road was famous among tourists.