Agencies
GUWAHATI, APRIL 22
The National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) has given the go-ahead to the diversion of forest land for widening the strategically important Balipara-Tawang Road connecting Sonitpur in Assam and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
The standing committee of the NBWL, at its 33rd meeting last month, recommended the diversion of forest land for widening of the existing Balipara-Charduar-Tawang(BCT) Road.
The NBWL is a statutory body under the Wildlife Protection Act. It reviews development projects involving national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
A stretch of the road from 50 km to 88 km requires diversion of 22.35 hectares of forest land — 8.85 hectares in Eagle Nest Wildlife Sanctuary and 13.5 hectares at Sessa Orchid Sanctuary in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh — for widening.
The recommendation came with the reiteration of the conditions that no explosives will be used in the cutting work, debris will be disposed according to the muck disposal plan (plan for disposal of waste and debris) prepared by the user agency and implemented under the supervision of the Chief Wildlife Warden, appropriate signages and crossing corridors for wild animals at appropriate locations will be set up and slopes will be designed along the road to prevent animals from falling accidentally.
The 317.52-km BCT road is being upgraded to National Highway Double Lane (NHDL) specifications with an outlay of over Rs 600 crore and is expected to be complete in March 2016. It was scheduled to be completed in 2013.
Till last year, work on approximately 142 km had been completed.
The road is a lifeline for movement of defence forces from Assam to Tawang near the McMahon line in Arunachal Pradesh and its widening has become imperative considering the state's border with China.
However, delay in completion of road improvement work had attracted the wrath of the residents of Arunachal Pradesh who have to depend on the route for supply of essential commodities and movement of people.
With Tawang emerging as a tourist destination, delay in improvement work has affected the tourism industry in the district.
"Tourist inflow will increase manifold once the road improvement work is complete. These days visitors keep complaining of the bad drive from Bomdila to Tawang," said a hotelier in Tawang.
