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Forest Ministry Probes Highway Project Violations
16 Jul
Summary
- Ministry team inspected Kiratpur-Manali highway for environmental violations.
- RCC boundary pillars installation to be completed within 20 days.
- NGT ordered probe into alleged unscientific muck dumping near Beas river.
A high-level team from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) met with forest officials and the Fourlane Visthapit and Prabhavit Samiti (FPVS) in Bilaspur on Wednesday. This meeting was part of an ongoing inspection into alleged environmental violations and demarcation issues concerning the Kiratpur-Manali highway project.
The primary focus was the long-delayed installation of RCC boundary pillars along the highway. FPVS expressed concerns, and ministry officials assured that these pillars in Bilaspur district would be installed within the next 20 days, crucial for preventing encroachments and ensuring project adherence to diverted forest land.
Earlier, the MoEFCC team visited the Mandi district section of the project. This inspection was mandated by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) following a petition alleging unscientific dumping of excavation muck along the Beas river during the Mandi-Pathankot highway construction. This dumping allegedly violates environmental norms and risks flooding and ecological damage.
The NGT had previously constituted a joint committee which reported major lapses, including unauthorized dumping sites and premature dumping before protective structures were completed. The inspection report is scheduled for submission to the NGT before its July 23 hearing.
