HYDERABAD: The Ministry of Environment and Forest, which is considering the proposals for granting forest clearances for the northern stretch of the Regional Ring Road, has reportedly asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to take a relook into the project alignment in the Gajwel division.
According to sources, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) suggested a “relook into the alignment” in order to explore the possibility of reducing the forest land requirement depending on technical feasibility. The MoEF also asked the NHAI to submit a Detailed Project Report (DPR).
The MoEF’s Regional Empowered Committee is believed to have written a letter to the NHAI seeking these and a few other clarifications. After lengthy deliberations on the proposals submitted by the NHAI, the committee has decided to consider those for in-principle approval subject to submission of DPR as well as other relevant information or documents, sources said.
Besides DPR, the MoEF also sought the actual design, cross-section, muck disposal plan, earth cutting and filling details. The committee found that agricultural activity is being carried out in a portion of the forest land proposed for diversion and local people have certain grievances with regard to land identified for compensatory afforestation in Anantharam village.
The committee has not accepted the forest land identified for compensatory afforestation in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district as it coincides with the proposed forest land diversion as well as non-forest land received under another project in the recent past.
Meanwhile, the MoEF directed the NHAI and other authorities concerned to clearly enumerate the number of trees proposed for felling and prepare a proper felling as well as disposal plan.