HT Digital
SHILLONG, APR 23: In a significant move for infrastructure development in Meghalaya, over 4,000 trees in a reserved and deemed forest area will be felled to make way for a crucial road widening project in the Garo Hills.
The project, aimed at improving connectivity in the region, has raised concerns over the potential impact on the local wildlife population.
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The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change’s advisory committee has approved the diversion of 34.88 hectares of forest land in the East and North Garo Hills districts. This land will be used to expand and improve National Highway 127B under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.
The road improvement is seen as crucial for enhancing transportation in the region, particularly the Darugiri–Songsak–Williamnagar junction, which connects the state capital Shillong to East and North Garo Hills, bypassing Assam’s Guwahati.
The District Forest Officers from East and North Garo Hills acknowledged that the wildlife in the affected area includes several species such as barking deer, leopard cats, wild boars, common foxes, and Malayan giant squirrels, among others.
Despite these concerns, Meghalaya Forest Department officials confirmed that there are no protected areas within a 10 km radius of the project site, and no archaeological, heritage, or defense sites have been reported in the area.
The forest department officials also stated that there is no feasible alternative to avoid the felling of trees in the Darugiri, Songsak, and Rongrengiri reserved forests. The road improvement project is expected to require the removal of 4,444 trees, with 1,478 of these having a girth of less than 60 cm, and a substantial 2,966 trees exceeding 60 cm in girth. This area is classified as Eco Class-I, a “Very Dense Forest,” by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
To offset the environmental impact, the government has proposed compensatory afforestation over 34.88 hectares of non-forest land in Dagal Bolmedangh village under the Dambo Rongjeng Block. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. is tasked with executing the project in the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) mode, focusing on widening and improving a 36.635 km stretch of National Highway No. 127B.
The road improvement initiative has been approved after thorough discussions between state and central forest officials. Meghalaya’s government argues that the project will provide significant benefits for local residents, reducing travel time from Shillong to Williamnagar, the district headquarters of East Garo Hills. The new road will also enhance tourism, stimulate local industry growth, facilitate quicker transport of agricultural goods, and open up various development opportunities for the region.
