The fate of nearly 600 road projects connecting different inter-district destinations in Uttarakhand's Kumaon division is still hanging in balance for long on account of ‘delay’ in granting clearance from the forest and environment department.
Out of total 1,407 road projects, work is going on in about 816 road projects, but about 591 road projects are facing the green block in different parts of the Kumaon region, as the officials concerned of the PWD, Kumaon division said. The state of surface road connectivity has always been in poor state in the Himalayan State. On the one hand, if it is the devastating natural calamities that hit the existing road networks badly during the monsoon season every year, on the other, it is the tougher
forest laws, including bureaucratic hurdles, that block the speedy clearance of different road proposals. For example, despite the special interest of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India, to have a proper road connectivity on the Himalayan border front in view of increasing Maoist activities in neighbouring Nepal, it took even the PWD over five years to get the Tanakpuar-Jauljibi national highway project that has to be constructed along the Mahakali river on international border between India and Nepal cleared from the forest and environment department.
Although a detail project report worth Rs 831 crore has recently been submitted to the Government of India for construction of the 135.47 km long Tanakpuar-Jaljibi Road along the Mahakali river that marks international border between the two countries i.e. India and Nepal, after getting forest clearance, there are many a number of roads which are still awaiting the forest clearance for long.
Meanwhile, it is believed that if the aforesaid road project between Tanakpur and Jauljibi goes as per schedule, it would not only strengthen India's strategic interests on this Himalayan front, but also improve surface transport networks and trade activities in the hill State in a big way in the long run. However, tougher forest laws are the biggest hurdles in ensuring speedy execution of the road projects, lokesh Kumar Sharma, Chief Engineer, PWD (Kumaon division), told The Pioneer in an exclusive interview. "Over 500 road projects are still awaiting forest nod. Though we keep on taking up the road projects with the officials concerned for speedy forest clearance, the forest and environment department takes its own time in granting clearance," he added.
"Therefore, so many road projects are still pending. Otherwise timely execution of these road projects could have come in handy in smoothening the road connectivity here," the Chief Engineer expressed hope. There is no motorable road after Jauljibi in Pithorgarh to approach the India-Tibet border even today. Following this poor surface transport network, people including devotees of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage and traders belonging to the India-Tibet border trade still have to go on foot across the border.
Concerned with the present state of roads the road connectivity in the Himalayan State, though the State Government also expresses its concerns, with the forest land transfer related matters coming under the jurisdiction of the Centre, much has not been done to ensure speedy clearance of the road related projects, maintained the officials concerned.