Sutlej bridge project to destroy forest cover

The company appointed to work on this project has sought permission from the Forest Department for the land and for chopping the plantations,for which they will have to deposit Rs 18.27 lakhs as compensation. The company will also have to plant new trees in other areas as per the guidelines of the Forest Department.

The work on this project was officially inaugurated by Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal in November 2011 and will be completed in 18 months. It has been named ‘High Level Bridge Mattewara’.

“The land needs to be used in making the bridge and 57 fully grown trees need to be chopped while 1200 other plantations will be uprooted. The official permission has been granted by the Forest Department and now the company has to start the project after depositing the money,” range officer Khushwinder Singh from the Forest Department said.

The length of the proposed bridge is 717.4 meters while the width is 14.80 meters. This bridge will enable commuters to reach Nawanshaher and its adjoining areas in half an hour,a journey which currently many undertake via boat on the Sutlej river and others undertake by following a longer route,which takes more than one and a half hours. Many scooterists and motor cyclists reach the other side of the river by carrying their vehicles in boats after paying for a ticket .

However,the development has come at the cost of the forest cover. So far the company has not yet submitted its plans for the alternate plantations in lieu of the chopping,revealed sources.

Once the bridge will be complete,it will take a hit on the businesses of boat owners as well,who currently pay lakhs to the drainage department for contracts for running the boats on this route.