Govt backs NHAI, turns down WII on NH-7 widening

Sources who attended the Pune meeting said on condition of anonymity that only NHAI authorities spoke about their mitigation plan and Gadkari approved them. They added that said WII authorities had no chance to speak.  They said Gadkari made it clear that NHAI’s suggestion was good enough, following which Javadekar and Fadnavis agreed.

The government’s decision will imply that instead of Rs 244 crore needed for the plan formulated by WII, the NHAI will now have to spend only Rs 32 crore for constructing three underpasses. “These narrow gaps (underpasses) will serve as easy snares for poachers and will also eventually get flooded during monsoons,” said a senior official who didn’t want to be named.

Javadekar has also approved two flyovers on the same highway on the Madhya Pradesh side of Pench although the NHAI is believed to be opposed to them too. Javadekar could not be reached for comment.

The HC is set to hear the matter on Wednesday.

NHAI had appointed a consultant, Ram Indurkar, a former Chief Wildlife Warden of Maharashtra, who cited American models of underpasses. “If America can make do with measures our consultant suggested, why should we spend so much?” NHAI project director Ram Mishra quipped. When pointed out that there were no tigers in the US, Mishra insisted he was right but then relented without, however, giving up on his claim that the underpasses would do.

Belinda Wright of Wildlife Protection Society of India said, “I have seen traffic on the road increase. I can’t understand how the view of the biologists from a government-created institute be not accepted as the last word on wildlife matters, especially when we are talking of what is the most important tiger habitat and corridor in India? How can this happen in a country whose national animal is tiger and whose Prime Minister has a proven track record of protecting the prized possession of Gir lions in Gujarat?”