NHAI proposed three choices for four-laning on Koradi Road
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is under criticism for ignoring planting of trees to compensate for the chopped ones for road widening. NHAI gave Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) three options for four-laning between Mankapur Square and Mental Hospital Square on Koradi Road.
In view of the poor track record of NHIA in planting trees, the High Court had ordered the NHIA to conduct a meeting with NMC. NGO Nature Conservation Association (NCA) filed a PIL which is being heard in the high court.
Municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane and NHAI officials met on March 28. Wardhane visited the site the same day where NHAI wants to fell 32 neem trees for four laning. Some of the trees are over 100-year-old. After the meeting, NHAI gave three options to the civic body which were submitted before the court. The options are that permission be given for cutting 32 trees so that the four laning along with a service road could be completed, or permission can be given for cutting 16 trees and service road’s provision can be dropped or proposed four-laning on the stretch be dropped.
NMC has been asked to decide to go for one of the options. Wardhane claims that he has a plan that will save trees and pave way for road also. He said that under Integrated Road Development Project (IRDP) many trees were saved despite road widening and he is in touch with the architect. He will submit the plan to NHAI within a couple of days.
Last year, NHAI cut 414 trees till Koradi Road for a project and did not plant a single tree.
Source: The Times of India
Integrated Road Development Project, IRDP, Koradi Road, Mankapur Square, Nagpur Municipal Corporation, National Highway Authority of India, Nature Conservation Association, NHIA, NMC, Roads, Shyam Wardhane
