MoEF to clear the 33 km passing through reserve forest

THE Karnataka High Court, on March 19, vacated its stay on a road-widening project that environmentalists are opposing. Nearly two-thirds of the 51-km road, connecting Peerunwadi in Belgaum district with Chorla near Goa border, passes through a reserve forest in the Western Ghats.

The court said the state government could go ahead and widen the 17-km road stretch in the non-forest area. The state told the court it would start work on the forest stretch only after the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (moef) gives clearance. The court deemed the issue resolved and disposed the case.

Earlier, in February, the court had stayed this project on a petition moved by Amrut Charantimath of the non-profit Paryavarni. The petition demanded scrapping the project and pointed out the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd (krdcl) started work without applying for mandatory clearance under Forest Conservation Act, 1980, from the moef.