Plans to widen National Highway 127B in Meghalaya as part of the Bharatmala Pariyojana initiative have sparked significant concerns regarding environmental impact. The project involves the diversion of 35 hectares of deemed forest and the felling of approximately 4,500 trees in the Garo Hills, raising alarms about potential biodiversity loss and disruptions to local livelihoods.
The highway, which connects Srirampur in Assam to Nongstoin in Meghalaya, is set for an upgrade over a 36.635 km stretch, transitioning to two lanes with paved shoulders. Although the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s advisory committee has given “in-principle” approval for the diversion, environmentalists and local communities fear the ecological repercussions.
The area targeted for tree removal is home to diverse wildlife, including barking deer, leopards, wild boars, foxes, mongooses, monitor lizards, Malayan giant squirrels, and jungle fowl. The extensive logging necessary for the expansion poses a direct threat to these species and their habitats.
This highway expansion occurs amid a larger crisis of deforestation in Meghalaya. Unchecked timber logging has already caused widespread damage to forests, contributing to a decline in biodiversity and a depletion of water resources. A recent study indicated a significant reduction in dense forest areas in the East Khasi Hills, which shrank from 1,480 sq km to just 828 sq km between 2002 and 2013 due to deforestation and land conversion.
In a related development, the Supreme Court has issued a landmark ruling against retrospective environmental clearances for projects, including those involving forest clearing. The court characterized such clearances as a “gross illegality,” emphasizing that development should not come at the expense of environmental protection. Projects cannot move forward without prior environmental clearance, and the ruling effectively closes a legal loophole that had allowed projects to begin without proper assessments.
While it remains uncertain if the highway project falls under the scope of this ruling, the decision significantly impacts all future forest-clearing endeavors. Any projects involving forest land are now required to undergo thorough environmental assessments and obtain necessary clearances before commencing. Furthermore, the Supreme Court has explicitly prohibited the government from issuing notifications that would regularize actions violating the Environment Impact Assessment notification of 2006.
Original Source: https://nenow.in/north-east-news/meghalaya/meghalaya-nh127b-widening-to-fell-4500-trees-endangering-forests-wildlife-says-report.html
Category: Meghalaya,Northeast News,Top News
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Publish Date: 2025-05-23 07:16:00
