CHENNAI: The State government is planning to build a new road to tourist hotspot Ooty to ease the flow of traffic to the hill station. For this, it plans to raze a whopping 61 acres of reserve forest. An application seeking prior approval from the Centre for the diversion of forest land — under Section-2 of Forest (Conservation) Act,1980 —was submitted by the TN Highways Department on Monday. In the application, the department has termed the project as ‘crucial’.
The total length of the new road — passing through the Karamadai forest range — will be 94 km. According to highways department officials, the new road has been proposed as existing routes are prone to massive landslides in rainy season, causing traffic chaos.
“At present, the Nilgiris district is connected by two roads — Kothagiri road and Coonoor Road. While the former connects the hill station with Mettupalayam and further down to Erode, the latter stretches to Mysore,” say officials.
The new route via Karamadai will touch Mulli, Geddai, Perumpallam, Kundha and Kaikatty. “This, we hope, will help ease the flow of traffic during natural calamities,” officials added, stressing that the diversion of forest land has been kept to a ‘bare minimum’. The initial proposal submitted in 2018 sought the diversion of 139 acres of forest.
No alternate land available for new route, says Kovai collector
"Now, it has been reduced to half by making some changes in the alignment," officials added.
The District Collector of Coimbatore has already issued a non-encumbrance certificate, stating there were no alternative lands available for the construction of the new route. The authorities are pitching this as a move that will help boost tourism and provide connectivity for tribal communities living in and around the regions of Mulli, Geddai and Kundha.
The project, which is estimated to cost around
Rs 50 crore, will eat into reserve forests of Gopanari, Nellithurai and Melur Slope in Coimbatore and Hiriyaseegai in Nilgiris.
Project details
Total length: 94 km
Cost: Rs 50 crore
Forest area to be diverted: 61 acres