NAGPUR: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is stubbornly refusing to shell out Rs244 crore on mitigation measures, was at one time ready to spend a phenomenal Rs1,125 crore for road widening. This has only now come to fore even as hectic deliberations are on to resolve the vexed issue of NH-7 road widening between Mansar to Khawasa on the Maharashtra side.
Following recommendations by a top-level state committee, the NHAI's burden for mitigation measures to be undertaken for the road widening between Mansar and Khawasa was brought down from Rs750 crore. Now, it wants even the revised amount of Rs244 crore to be reduced. Strangely, it was willing to spend nearly six times the new lowered estimate for road widening between Khawasa and Rukhad on the Madhya Pradesh side of NH-7.
The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court order of February 4 says for economic development of the country four-laning is necessary by minimizing ecological damage. On the contrary, a Supreme Court-appointed central empowered committee (CEC) had stated: "This (stalled NH-7 work) is one of those exceptional cases where ecological security necessarily has to take precedence over developmental needs".
The CEC had made its recommendations to the Supreme Court on May 25, 2009, after consulting top wildlife experts like MK Ranjitsinh, K Ullas Karanth, Valmik Thapar, Belinda Wright, Kishor Rithe, YV Jhala, Ashok Kumar and PK Sen. CEC member MK Jiwrajka too had said the "ecological cost of the present project is immense and no mitigative measures are adequate to compensate the same".
Recalling a NHAI presentation made to the CEC where they had proposed to spend Rs1,125 crore, the experts said they firmly disagreed to the mitigation measures and suggested the alternative route of Nagpur-Chhindwara-Seoni Road. The CEC too felt the route was a good alternative as it was important to protect and conserve the Pench Tiger Reserve habitat and its critical connectivity with other wildlife habitats.
Documents procured by TOI show that the CEC wanted the existing road passing through Pench and its buffer to be closed for general traffic with movement being restricted to government and local vehicles.
The CEC had also asked the NHAI to explore the possibility of constructing a tunnel of elevated highway through ghat section of NH-7 over a distance of 9.3km. The NHAI carried out a quick survey and proposed that the elevated highway and tunnelling would cost an estimated Rs1,125 crore. The amount was for structures on MP side (Khawasa to Rukhad) only.
However, considering the disturbance the construction will cause, the CEC said it was not a practical proposition. Hence, it recommended that widening of road between Mansar and Seoni should not be permitted and, instead, the vehicles be sent on the suggested alternative route.
"When four-lane work on the alternate route via Mansar (Amdi Fata) to Saoner-Chhindwara has almost been completed, the NHAI now need not spend extra amount for NH-7, except road tarring for which funds have already been released. This will save the entire tiger corridor as well as large amount to be used in road widening for NH-7," the wildlife experts said.
Experts say as option through Chhindwara would have increased the distance to Seoni by 75km, NHAI was ready to spend Rs1,125 crore on the MP side. "Why a similar concern is not being shown on Maharashtra side (Mansar to Khawasa) where, in the last six years, things have changed. Ecologically, the area has become more sensitive with the notification of Mansinghdeo Wildlife Sanctuary and Pench buffer zone. In Chorbahuli and Deolapar blocks of the sanctuary, the road will touch sanctuary boundaries," they said.
Simultaneously, the CEC recommended that movement of vehicles be curbed on the existing NH-7 patch. "The forest department should set up check posts to ensure that no vehicular movement is allowed from dusk to dawn.
During the day, only light vehicles be allowed. In absolutely unavoidable circumstances movement of heavy vehicles during the day and night may be allowed on payment of Rs1,000 per vehicle. The amount thus collected should be used for conservation," the reports stated.
Considering the CEC recommendations, the apex court had ordered that the issue be decided by the statutory authorities like the National Board of Wild Life (NBWL), the Wildlife Institute of India and National Tiger Conservation Authority and the state government which finally set up a seven-member committee. It brought down the mitigation cost from Rs750 crore to Rs244 crore.
Even as the road widening of NH-7 on the Maharashtra stretch is yet to get clearance, the NBWL has agreed to take required mitigation measures on the MP side. "The NBWL approval is a mandatory requirement in view of the SC order in Goa Foundation verus Union of India order dated December 4, 2006. The SC has not modified its order. Since the highway project requires environment impact assessment (EIA) approval it would also require approval from NBWL," said noted environment lawyer Ritwick Dutta.
"The issue will definitely go to Supreme Court again as the SC order of December 12, 1996 has restrained HCs from passing any order at variance," wildlife experts said.
In a nutshell
* NHAI wants a further cut towards NH-7 road widening cost between Mansar and Khawasa from the revised amount of Rs244 crore
* A SC -appointed central empowered committee had termed the stalled NH-7 road widening work as an exceptional case where ecological security takes precedence over developmental needs
* But experts were of the view that no mitigative measures are adequate to compensate the ecological cost of the project
* CEC recommended curbing movement of vehicles on the existing NH-7 patch as the area has turned more sensitive with the notification of Mansinghdeo Wildlife Sanctuary and Pench buffer zone
Gadkari, Fadnavis meet to resolve issue
Highways and transport minister Nitin Gadkari and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and top NHAI and forest officials will meet on February 13 in Pune to sort out the issue. The HC has already asked to find a middle road on the issue. The meeting will be attended by head of forest force (HoFF), state's nodal officer, NTCA and WII officials.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Supreme Court,National Board of Wild Life,Economic Development,Devendra Fadnavis,CEC
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