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Over 1 Lakh Trees Cut Down By NHAI For Constructing Srinagar Ring Road; Reveals RTI Reply
Writer: Shiva Chaudhary
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
Jammu and Kashmir, 15 July 2022 10:16 AM GMT
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While he is a massive sports fanatic, his interest also lies in mainstream news and nitpicking trending and less talked about everyday issues.
Creatives : Shiva Chaudhary
A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication with relevant skills, specialising in content editing & writing. I believe in the precise dissemination of information based on facts to the public.
The NHAI awarded the 42.10 km project with a cost of ₹939.41 crores to a private company on EPC mode in 2018. The ring road and bypass project transiting 52 villages and five districts was to be built in three years.
Over 1.10 lakh private trees of Apple, Walnut, Mulberry, and Chinar, among other species valued at ₹13.76 crores, have been cut down by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to construct the Srinagar Ring Road; a Right To Information (RTI) response has revealed.
The reply received by RTI activist Raman Sharma from the NHAI on his questions stated more than 1,200 more private trees from the valley's lush green cover will be mowed down in the coming days to lay the new tarmac around Srinagar.
No Trees Have Been Planted To Date
According to The Times of India, the NHAI did not give any estimation of the cost that will be incurred on the plantation along the ring road and stated the project is under construction. Further, it said trees had been planted to date and that it shall be carried out at a later stage.
As per the NHAI, 50,616 trees along the avenue and 25,308 trees along the median are to be planted as part of a contract agreement with the Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the Srinagar Ring Road project.
A Look At The Srinagar Ring Road Project
The NHAI awarded the 42.10 km project with a cost of ₹939.41 crores to a private company on EPC mode in 2018. The ring road and bypass project transiting 52 villages and five districts, including Srinagar, Pulwama, Baramula, Bandipora, and Budgam, was to be built in three years.
The complete greenfield alignment has been proposed on the western side of Srinagar to facilitate connectivity to the habitation on that side and to provide smooth and effortless traffic flow in and around the city.
More Trees To Be Chopped For Similar Project
According to NDTV, as part of a similar ring road project in Jammu, 5,707 trees of Chir, Garna, Kamala, Ber, Shisham, Parli, and Amla, among others, will be chopped, but no "afforestation" will be done by NHAI; the RTI stated.
No such compensatory afforestation is to be done by the authority according to the forest clearance obtained under the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Conservation Act, it mentioned. "However, median and avenue plantation as per IRC SP:21:2009 by the provision plantation shall be done along Jammu Ring Road," it added.
The Indian Road Congress (IRC), an apex body of highway engineers in India, released the standard code procedure associated with all aspects of design, construction and maintenance of roads and bridges, road transportation, traffic, and general aspects of road and bridge engineering.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on May 19, 2018, laid the foundation stone for the 58.25 km-long Jammu ring road, the estimated cost of which was ₹ 1,339 crore.
Also Read: Donations To National Parties Lowered By Over 41%, Amounting To Rs 420 Crore In FY 2020-21: Report
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