Nagpur: Finally, Tussle for a long time for the steps of jammed wildlife mitigation at the NAVEGAON-NAGZIRA TIGER Reserve (NNTR) corridor in NH6 (NH53) between Sakoli and Deori has been placed with the Indian National Highway Authority (NHAI) starting to work by taking Felling trees in the 11km forest patch where five animal underpasses will be built.
Since 2012, TOI conducts a series of stories about long battles drawn for wildlife mitigation structures in crucial tiger corridors that connect seven vital tiger populations from the center and eastern Tiger Ghat Landscape complex.
This corridor connects Melghat, Satpura, Penh, Kanha, Navegaon-Nagzira, Indravati, and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger reserve.
The RS361-Crore project has been given to the global agrawal joint venture Infratech Private Limited and SMS Limited.
Project Director Nhai Naresh Wadetwar said, “Logging of trees in the first part between the sirpur-Navatola has been completed and in another part between the Maramjob-Dongargaon, Bamhni-Duggipar, and Sakoli-Mundipar approached the settlement.
More than 50.68 hectares of forest land will be transferred for This project.
“Of the 10 structures, there will be five underpasses for wildlife, Wadetwar said, adding this will be 690, 238, 814, 773 & 742 meters with a height of 5 meters.
In addition, there will be 4 lightweight vehicle underpasses (Lvup) and one small vehicle underpass (SVUP).
Spots where underpasses will be built including sirpur-navatola, maramjob-dongargaon, bamhni-duggar, and sakoli-mundipar.
Greens has welcomed the decision about underpass.
“Mitigation measures were only due to the intervention of civil society organizations since 2008 in various forums such as the APEX (CEC) Central Court Empowerment Committee and the High Court bench in Nagpur.
If not, this will be another among many examples of failure to enter steps Mitigation and Destruction of the Corridor, “said Milind Parawam, Ecologist Road and Union International Members for Conservation of Natural Connectivity Conservation Specialists.
“In 2015, some bureaucrats have succeeded in reducing only 3 mitigation measures, but the High Court objected to him and, fortunately, the structure has been improved to 5.
Although this is a good start, a fewer structures considering the specifications of the MOEFCC linear guidelines.
Patch sized forest 20-25 km and more mitigation steps are expected, “said Parawaxam.
“Even though this will help restore some connectivity on the Maharashtra side, unfortunately, a better part of this corridor that falls in Chhattisgarh has been destroyed and an urgent effort to restore connectivity needs to be included there too,” said Wildlife Conservationist Udayan Patil.
The initial Indian report wildlife institution submitted in 2012 has recommended a wildlife blanket of 1,500-2,000 meters in 10 forest fillings, but Nhai disagrees.
Later, the number of passes was reduced by four under political pressure in 2015.
The Regional Empowerment Committee of the MOEFCC (REC) has approved the NHAI proposal in January 2019 and therefore phase-i cleaning was given in March 2019.
However, one year was wasted when the user agent made Some typos in a proposal as recommended by the Wii-NTCA.
Rec Suresh Chopne member said, “After NHAI’s disruption, Rec had ordered the physical review of the location, dimensions and therefore a new joint survey by the NHAI-Wii was carried out in January 2020.
The proposal was submitted again before the account and was approved in February 24, 2020.
“Victory for wildlife * Mitigation measures taken under Bharatmala Pariyanajana in EPC * NHAI mode doing to increase the two pathway to four between the border of Maharashtra & Chhattisgarh of Rokeage 405km-485km with a line of 60 meters in all stretches * Proposal has been approved by suggestions To develop separate nurseries to increase at least 50,000 original species * 50% of these seeds will be used to take plantations around the project area.
The user agency has also been asked to distribute 50% of free seeds * of the total length of 80km project, road stretch 23.85 km past 10 dense forest patches.
Some patches are resolved by NHAI without mitigation steps * from the stretch of 23.85 km which fall inside the forest patch from Bhandara to Deori, 13.45km has been upgraded to four pathways
Finally, Nhai began working on an underpass in the NNTR corridor
