KOCHI: Kerala High Court on Friday directed the National Highways Authority of India to furnish to the chief secretary the details and particulars of the area proposed for road widening on the Neriamangalam – Valara stretch, along with supporting materials.
“Upon receipt of these details, the chief secretary, on behalf of the state government, shall pass a reasoned order regarding the status of the land, whether it is reserved forest or not, dealing with all aspects such as the precise location with reference to the maps, the issues raised by the writ petitioner based on the maps and other documents, and the materials as may be placed by the forest department of the state,” held the court.
The court issued the order on a review petition filed by the NHAI seeking to continue the construction without getting any further permission from the state government and the Union Environment Ministry.
The work on 13km on the Neriamangalam – Valara stretch is yet to progress and it is an admitted position that the Aluva – Munnar Road is extremely busy with an increase in traffic due to the prominence of Munnar as a hill station. Narrow roads put the motorists and the passersby at risk, and the construction is in public interest.
Therefore, some interim arrangement will have to be arrived at that balances both public interests.
The court ordered that if the government, through the chief secretary, decides to declare that the area is not a reserved forest, allowing the NHAI to continue its work, it must urgently direct a joint team from the revenue and forest departments to mark the boundaries and identify the trees that will be affected.
The chief secretary must also ensure that no trees or areas beyond those identified in the joint survey are cleared or disturbed, the court said.
