The widening and bypass construction work on two different stretches of the Mumbai-Goa highway will lead to chopping of 400 trees on forest land in Mangaon and Mahad talukas of Raigad.
The forest department has already given its consent to clear 18.4 hectares by putting plantation conditions worth over Rs 15 crore. The forest department has now proposed to plant 41,000 trees on 37 hectares of forest land.
Over 4 hectares of forest land will be given away in Mangaon taluka where the bypass of Mumbai-Goa highway is proposed. A total 183 trees on this forest land will be axed, paving the way for the 3-km-long bypass construction. This is part of the 27km-long package-I stretch being executed at a cost of Rs 457 crore falling between between Indapur (Mangaon) and Veer (Mahad). Nearly 50% of this 27-km work is complete as of now. The remaining over 14 hectare forest land is being reduced in Mahad taluka for the highway widening work. A total 216 trees will be chopped on various stretches. This is part of the 38-km-long package-II stretch of the highway work executed between Veer (Mahad) and Bhogaon (Poladpur) at a cost of Rs 643 crore with 13% work remaining incomplete.
The cost of both the packages have gone up collectively by Rs 15 crore to comply with the forest department plantation condition.
“Over Rs 1.61 lakh has been deposited with the forest department ahead of them chopping the trees with no further delay after their approval,” said A N Meshram, assistant executive engineer, PWD-national highway division.
“The PWD-NH division was given the forest department stage-I approval to go ahead with conditions. Upon receipt of the stage-II, that is final approval, we will begin chopping of trees. Avenue plantation will be done after highway work execution. As many as 41,000 trees will planted in 37 hectares of forest land,” said Appasaheb Nikat, divisional conservator of forest-Roha, Raigad.
