Decks cleared in Dwarka expressway project

With the intervention of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) the National Highways Authority of India has managed to clear hurdles in the way of the much delayed Dwarka Expressway project with NHAI, the Delhi government, forest ministry and DDA agreeing to complete all processes as quickly as possible, said sources adding that (NHAI will need to get forest clearance for about four km out of the total 10 km of the expressway, which falls in Delhi. It will also seek permission from Delhi’s forest department to cut trees for the stretch falling in the national capital for quick approval. NHAI will transplant about 10,000 of the identified trees that will be impacted due to the road construction for which DDA will provide land for carrying out the compensatory a-forestation for felling of trees. The Delhi government wanted NHAI to apply for forest clearance under the Forest Conservation Act as tree-felling amounted to “diversion of forest land”. It had said roadside plantations carried out by DDA should be treated as “deemed forest but NHAI on the other hand maintained that the permission could be granted under state laws rather than the Act. Works for three packages out of total five have been awarded and that NHAI has re-invited bids for the fourth package in Delhi and work on fifth package will be taken up later.