15,867 trees to give way for four-laning of Shimla highway stretch

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan,September 4

As many as 15,867 trees and 6,996 saplings will be axed for four-laning of the 22.91-km stretch of Chambaghat-Kaithlighat on the National Highway(NH)-22.

While work to fell 5,349 trees and 1,367 saplings till Salogra has begun, the trees and saplings on the remaining stretch are awaiting the final nod from the authorities.

This is the third phase of the four-laning project on NH-22 that has been awarded to a Gurgaon-based company for Rs 598 crore, which is 25.10 per cent higher than its reserve price, is likely to begin from September 15. The company has been given 30 months to complete the project and once the first phase of tree felling is completed, the four-laning work will begin.

The NHAI had deposited the net present value of 9,073 trees lying on the 28.2 hectares of forest land in 2016 as per the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, for diverting the forest land for non-forestry use.

Divisional Forest Officer, Solan, RS Jaswal, said the evaluation of trees on the remaining stretch till Kaithlighat too had been completed and a final nod was awaited from senior officials. As many as 6,537 trees and 2,537 saplings falling on government land and 92 trees and 112 saplings on the acquired width of the PWD and railway land would be axed.

Apart from this, 3,889 trees and 2,980 saplings on private land would be axed for four-laning the highway till Kaithlighat, taking the total number of trees to 10,518 and saplings to 5,629 which would be axed.

Officials have also started the process for identifying the sites for dumping the muck which will be generated once the excavation of the hills begins. Following unavailability of adequate dumping sites while four-laning the stretch between Parwanoo-Solan, officials had been facing many problems. They were extra cautious this time. The four-laning of this phase also includes the construction of 460-m long tunnel at Kandaghat and two railway overbridges at Kandaghat and Chambaghat.

The land had been acquired in 31 villages. Efforts were afoot to ensure that the process of land acquisition was completed at the earliest but some issues like stay from the courts in 183 cases, mortgaged land with the banks in nine cases, incomplete documentation in 260 cases and revenue-related issues in 11 cases had delayed the disbursement of award amounting to Rs 55,54,06,508, said SDM-cum-Land Acquisition Officer Rohit Rathore.

The four-laning of this road is eagerly awaited as it will reduce the distance from Shimla to Chandigarh from the present 120 km to 90 km.

Tunnel at Kandaghat 

• This is the third phase of the four-laning project on NH-22 that has been awarded to a Gurgaon-based company
• The company has been given 30 months to complete the project and once the first phase of tree felling is completed, the four-laning work will begin
• The four-laning of this phase also includes the construction of 460-m long tunnel at Kandaghat and two railway overbridges at Kandaghat and Chambaghat
• The land had been acquired in 31 villages