CHENNAI: Even as Chennai-Salem Greenfield Corridor faces resistance, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), working hard to implement the 265-km eight-lane Bengaluru-Chennai expressway, has gotten a boost. Tamil Nadu forest department has reportedly cleared the proposed diversion of 5.42 hectares of reserve forest for the project and forwarded the application to Union environment ministry for final approval. The proposed road passes through Mahimandalam reserve forest in Arcot range of Vellore forest division.
NHAI created an exclusive Project Implementation Unit to fasttrack the project. Invitation of bids had been initiated and the process was to be completed by March. However, it fell behind schedule for want of forest clearance, NHAI officials told Express. A senior forest official said Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) recently visited the reserve forest, proposed to be diverted, and gathered information on number of trees to be felled.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has submitted the application for NBWL approval on January 12, 2018 and the current status shows “application under process”.District Forest Officer of Vellore had earlier raised several queries and NHAI has already submitted the documents sought. The highways authority had obtained certificate of non-availability of non-forest land for the project from district Collector and an undertaking was given to pay Net Present Value (NPV).
In a note justifying the location of the project in a forest area, NHAI says various realignment options have been studied. The final alignment was arrived at as it required the minimum reserved forest land.
As per the Terms of Reference (ToR) issued by the environment ministry, the Tamil Nadu stretch will be executed in Phase-3. It starts from Ramapuram village in Gudipala mandal in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh to Irungattukottai in Sriperumbudur taluk of Kancheepuram.
The total length of Phase-3 of the proposed expressway is 106.569 km, which is the longest compared to other two phases. It will be implemented at an estimated cost of Rs 5,774.43 crore and 1,118.105 hectares are required. About 10,450 trees are likely to be axed, as per NHAI submission before Expert Appraisal Committee. Also, 368 structures will be affected due to the proposed road and NHAI officials said the authority will compensate the affected title holders.