Decks cleared for four wildlife passes on NH6.

Decks have been cleared for construction of four wildlife underpasses on NH-6 between Sakoli and Deori with Regional Empowered Committee (REC) of the MoEFCC finally giving a go ahead.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will spend about Rs. 400 crore on these underpasses. The already widened NH-6 cuts through vital wildlife corridors. Over 50.68 hectares of forest land will be diverted for the project that will enable animals to safely pass under the highway.

“We will have to float fresh tenders as the underpasses were not part of the works when the highway was widened. The final estimates are being prepared and it would cost roughly Rs 400 crore. Actual work will start once lockdown is withdrawn,” said Naresh Wadetwar, regional officer, NHAI.

These four forest patches connect seven vital tiger populations of Central Indian Tiger Landscape. These are corridors connecting Melghat, Satpura, Pench (MP & Maharashtra), Kanha, Navegaon-Nagzira, Indravati and Tadoba-Andhari tiger reserves.

The proposal includes three underpasses of 750 metres and one underpass of 700 metres length. The Patch 1 between Sirpur-Navatola (700mt), Patch 6 Maramjob-Dongargaon (750mt), Patch 8 Bamhni-Duggipar (750mt) and Patch 10 Sakoli-Mundipar (750mt). All will have 5-metre height.

The REC had approved the proposal in January 2019 and accordingly Stage-I clearance was granted in March 2019. However, one year was wasted as user agency made some typographical errors in the proposal as recommended by the WII-NTCA.

“REC ordered a physical recheck of locations and dimensions and a fresh joint survey was conducted in January 2020 by NHAI and WII officials. The proposal was submitted again before the REC and approved on February 24, 2020. Now getting Stage-II clearance is just a formality,” said REC member Suresh Chopne.

Chopne said NHAI proposal has been approved with a suggestion to develop separate nurseries to raise at least 50,000 seedlings of native species. It was suggested to NHAI that 50% of these seedlings be used for plantations in the vicinity of the project area. The user agency has also been asked to distribute 50% of seedlings free of cost.

NH-6 mitigation structures are a case of huge curtailment of mitigation steps. Of the 23.85km stretch falling within forest patches from Bhandara to Deori, 13.45 km has already been upgraded to four-lane by violating Forest (Conservation) Act 1980.

WII’s initial report submitted in 2012 recommended 1500 to 2000 metre wildlife underpasses in 10 forest patches but as NHAI did not agree, these were brought down to four under political pressure in 2015. Even these could materialize due to high court intervention.

Reprieve For Wildlife

* Patch I between Sirpur-Navatola is 6.3km. It is already widened but will now have a 700 metre underpass with 5 metre height

* Patch 6 between Maramjob-Dongargaon is 4.15km. It will have two structures of 240 metres & 510 metres length

* Patch 8 between Bamni-Duggipar is 3km. It will have 750 metre underpass

* Patch 10 between Sakoli-Mundipar is 3.2km. It will have 750 metre underpass.

TOI