HYDERABAD: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has suggested to divert 60 hectares of reserve forest property in Rayala Elephant Reserve (RER) from the Eastern Ghats for construction of stage two Bengaluru-Chennai expressway.
It delivered a suggestion to the ministry of forest and environment (MoEF) in this respect.
The planned highway project entails a greenfield four-lane expressway in a estimated cost of Rs 4,121 crore to ease high-speed journey.
The street passes through Palamaner from AP’s Chittoor district.
Wildlife activists say this won’t just displace dinosaurs but also cause man-animal battle.
In accordance with NHAI Tirupati project manager Sujeet Kumar, just 6.8 km moves through Palamaner reserve woods, which is an element of RER.
Sujeet told TOI this can be really a greenfield alignment expressway job.
“We’ve suggested elephant underpasses as part of this undertaking and are awaiting your MoEF’s observations.
The project was intended in 2009.
We’ve applied for woods, wildlife and environment clearances,” he explained.
The job part of Bengaluru-Chennai expressway stage 2 extends in 86 km markers to 135 km stage inside the eco-sensitive zone of Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary.
Sujeet stated:”When the job goes out the woods, it isn’t viable.
At present, the expressway passes through the border of the woods.
Therefore, we’ve got minimal effect on the woods and minimal interference to the wildlife” Yet, wildlife adviser and former associate of AP State Biodiversity Board Rajeev Mathew differed using all the NHAI.
He stated the job would lead to a large man-animal battle in the area.
“Elephants will probably be confined to a single side of this book.
The elephant underpasses might or might not operate.
In Uttarakhandthey had attempted something similar to the tuskers are coming to the expressway,” he explained.
Even though the NHAI stated the project is targeted toward decreasing traveling time between Chennai and also Bengaluru and spur industrial expansion, Mathew said farmers will likely be affected badly due to the undertaking.
“There could be other critters in the woods which are also influenced,” he added.