GURUGRAM: National Green Tribunal (
NGT) has issued a notice to the National Highways Authority of India (
NHAI) and the Union environment and forest ministry on the issue of proposed shifting of
Kherki Daula toll plaza to
Sehrawan, around 15km down NH-8.
A bench, headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore, issued the notice on Friday, in the wake of a petition that seeks a stay on the proposed toll plaza at Sehrawan, claiming it is a wildlife corridor. Both NHAI and the ministry have time till May 17 to file their replies to the plea.
According to petitioner Ram Avtar Yadav, an ex-sarpanch of Manesar, “The proposed toll plaza involves diversion of about 65 acres of some of the last remaining Aravali forests in Haryana, which is also a wildlife corridor from Sariska National Park to Asola Bhati Wildlife Sanctuary. The area is densely forested and is also home to a variety of wild species.”
Authorities have proposed the shifting of toll plaza to Sehrawan due to heavy movement of traffic and congestion at Kherki Daula. “But there have been several reports of leopard sighting in the Manesar region. However, due to severe anthropogenic·stress on the habitat of these wild species, there has been an increase in human-animal conflicts in the region,” says the petition. Moreover, the land identified for the new toll plaza is also part of the Aravali plantation.
The villagers in Manesar are, however, happy with the NGT’s “first step”. “NHAI and other government officials are trying to portray us as anti-development people. We are not against progressive work. At the same time, we will not allow any forest land to be used to build the toll plaza. We are hopeful for justice from the green tribunal,” Yadav said. The petition has also cited alternative sites for the toll plaza.
When contacted, Ashok Sharma, project director, NHAI, Gurugram, said, “We will submit our replies to NGT in the coming days.”
Representative image