NHAI finds solution to widen longest highway through Pench Tiger Reserve

NEW DELHI: After a delay of four years over environmental clearances, National Highways Authority of India ( NHAI) has come up with a new solution to widen India's longest highway NH 7 through Pench Tiger Reserve.

NHAI would provide 13 underpasses for animals over a stretch of 9 kilometres and reduce the standard highway length while widening the road through the reserve.

NHAI's plan to upgrade NH 7 from two-lane to four-lane on the periphery of Pench-Mowgli Sanctuary in Seoni district had hit a roadblock in 2008 as Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), an NGO working for tiger and wildlife conservation, had moved the centrally-empowered committee (CEC) of Supreme Court in 2008 seeking a ban on NHAI's project.

The NGO had alleged that the project would damage the delicate ecosystem of the tigers in the reserve. So far, the Supreme Court has not given any relief to NHAI.

Now, NHAI has come up with a fresh proposal. It plans to restrict construction activity on the 9-km stretch inside the reserve to a bare minimum. It would also reduce the highway width so that it does not adversely affect the natural habitat of the big cats.

According to sources, the fresh proposal that NHAI has moved is to reduce the width of four-lane highway from 60 metres to 20 metres. NHAI plans to achieve this width by reducing the width of the central median to 0.6 metres. The paved portion along the highways would also be reduced.

A senior official of the Ministry for Road Transport and Highways said, "This width is not too small. We have reduced highway width in Kerala from 60 metres to 45 metres. There we had land acquisition issues. Here this is a special case as well. We do need to strengthen the road passing through the tiger reserve. By reducing the standard widths of central median, we can achieve the purpose."

NHAI is also planning to address wildlife experts' concerns about safe passage for animals by providing pathways for animals. "We have planned 13 underpasses for animals to cross safely and not be bothered by the traffic," said a source. This proposal has got a favourable response from National Tiger Conservation Authority.