Meghalaya | 'Iconic' stretch at Upper Shillong will not be impacted by highway project: Forest Minister
This road, along the NH-40, is a part of the Shillong-Tamabil road project linking Meghalaya with Bangladesh and executed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL). The proposed four-laning of this 15 km road was scheduled to happen from Umshyrpi Bridge in Shillong to Baniun in the 7th mile, Upper Shillong.
Meghalaya Forest and Environment Minister James PK Sangma on Wednesday allayed the concerns of Shillongites regarding the felling of trees along the NH-40 from Upper Shillong to Baniun and clarified that the 'iconic' stretch will not be impacted during the execution of the proposed highway project.
"The aged Cryptomeria Japonica heritage trees along the roadside from Upper Shillong to Baniun adjacent to the EAC Headquarters have been shielded except for eight trees including two diseased standing trees whose felling was absolutely necessary in view of a curve and narrow space for the proposed highway," Sangma told media persons.
This road, along the NH-40, is a part of the Shillong-Tamabil road project linking Meghalaya with Bangladesh and executed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL). The proposed four-laning of this 15 km road was scheduled to happen from Umshyrpi Bridge in Shillong to Baniun in the 7th mile, Upper Shillong.
The felling of trees was met with discontentment from a section of the public, who demanded an explanation from the government after pictures and videos went viral on social media with netizens stating that 100-year-old pine trees were being chopped in the name of development.
Immediately reacting to the concerns raised by the citizens, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma took to Twitter on Wednesday and informed that the felling of trees has been stopped and a discussion to find alternatives will be taken up with the NHIDCL.
"These images are indeed disturbing. I have asked NHIDCL to stop it immediately till we can find a better solution. We need to balance between development and environment," the CM tweeted on Wednesday morning.
The Forest Minister, on the other hand, informed that being a major road project for which 16.107 hectares of forest land is affected, the felling of trees is unavoidable. "However, care has been taken to ensure that only those standing trees which are considered absolutely necessary are permitted to be felled," he said.
To safeguard the heritage trees, NHIDCL has reduced the Right of Way (ROW) from standard 45-60 meters for four-laning to a bare minimum of 24 meters with the utility provisions like water pipelines, electricity, etc, Forest Minister said.
"To reduce ROW standard median of 2.5 meters has been reduced to a bare minimum of 0.6 meters," Sangma added.
It was further informed that the felling of trees has been carried out only on one side of the existing avenue plantations adjacent to the helipad as they were "totally unavoidable" even with the reduced ROW.
It may be mentioned that the Public Work Department (PWD) had proposed realignment and widening of the Shillong-Dawki National Highway at Upper Shillong through the Upper Shillong Protected forest. The total affected forest area for diversion under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 was 16.107 hectares, including 15.296 hectares within the protected forest and 0.811 hectares deemed forest land outside the protected forest.
In principle, approval for diversion of 16.107 hectares was granted by the regional office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in Shillong on March 6, 2021, along with conditions for compliance to be fulfilled by NHIDCL. The MoEFCC accorded final approval vide its letter dated April 30, 2021.
In order to compensate for the loss, compensatory afforestation would be undertaken in an equivalent non-forest area provided by NHIDCL at Nongumiang, West Khasi Hills in accordance with the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
"For every single tree felled for any purpose outside the forest land, 10 number trees shall have to be planted as compensation in order to ensure that the environment is protected," Sangma added.
This road project, expected to be completed by December 2023, is being funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency and it involves an investment of Rs 1,251 crore.
(Edited by Ibankyntiew Mawrie)
TNT-The Northeast Today is now on WhatsApp. CLICK HERE to receive more updates on your phone.
ALSO WATCH:
