After issues like finances and land acquisitions, now it is India dwindling tiger population that is posing a problem for Road Transport Minister Kamal Nath's road building programme.
Nath has sought the Prime Minister's intervention to get the environmental clearances so that he can achieve his target of building 20 km of roads every day by building right through the sanctuaries.
At least seven highway stretches pass through wildlife sanctuaries which are home to several endangered species as well as the most precious tiger. The road transport ministry wants these stretches upgraded to 4 and 6 lane highways which means destroying vast expanse of wildlife.
Most of these projects are stuck for over five years now. The environment ministry's version is to divert the highways and acquire land around the sanctuaries. But the huge costs and the entire problem of land acquisition are things that the Road transport ministry surely wants to steer clear from.
The Prime Minister's Office has asked the Cabinet Secretary to resolve the green clearance issue delaying road projects.
Nath had written to the Prime Minister on the issue. Five road projects are stuck due to delays in environmental clearances. Four of the highway projects are in Pench sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. Two are in Hastinapur sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh. These stretches have to be upgraded to 4 and 6 lane national highways.
It is now a tussle between nature and infrastructure development and the ball is in the cabinet secretary's court. He has to do a balancing act between environment and development.
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