NH 127B upgrade to ease travel, but at cost of over 4,000 trees in Meghalaya

Shillong, April 23: Over 4,000 trees are likely to be felled in a reserved and deemed forest area - home to a large number of wildlife - for a crucial road improvement and widening project in the Garo Hills region.

The project encompasses widening of the National Highway 127B (Darugiri-Songsak-Williamnagar junc-tion) and connects Shillong with East and North Garo Hills districts through West Khasi Hills district, bypassing Guwahati.

The 'in-principle' approval for the project was granted by an advisory committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The project under the Bharatmala Pariyojana will necessitate diversion through 34.88 hectares of reserved and deemed forest land in East and North Garo Hills districts.

The District Forest Officers of East and North Garo Hills have told the committee that the wildlife in the forested area include "barking deer, leopard cat, wild boar, common fox, common mongoose, monitor lizard, malaya giant squirrel, jungle fowl, and other animals".

Altogether, it has been proposed to cut down 4,444 trees, out of which 1,478 have girth below 60 cm and 2,966 have girth above 60 cm. The area falls under the Eco Class-1 or 'Very Dense Forest' as per the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

It has been proposed that compensatory afforestation work will be undertaken over 34.8877 hectares of non-forest land at Dagal Bolmedangh village under the Dambo Rongjeng block.

Meanwhile, under the project, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd will improve and widen a section of the National Highway No. 127B into two lanes with paved shoulders from Darugiri to Willimanagar junction, covering a distance of 36.635 km.

The project will be undertaken in an Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) mode and the decision to improve and widen it was taken after deliberation with Forest officials from the Central and State governments.

According to the Forest officials, "there is no suitable alternative to avoid the Darugiri, Songsak, and Rongrengiri reserved forest to construct the project road".

The crucial road will help people from the State capital reach Williamnagar without taking a circuitous route through Guwahati and save travel time, boost tourism, develop local industry, assist quick transportation of agro products, and provide other development opportunities, officials said.