Nagpur: A pilot project in Buldhana district synchronizing National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) work with water conservation activities has yielded excellent results. At no cost to the state, 2,841 TMC water storage capacity has been created as soil/gravel extracted from 38 ponds, tanks and 30 riverbeds, nullahs has been used for building embankments of national highways passing through the district.
Earth/ murum is required in large quantities for laying of highways. The contractors/concessionaires engaged in highways work buy it from suppliers as per the provisions of the state government concerned or from nearby farmers where projects are being executed. Last year on August 31, Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari had, vide letter RW/NH-34066/2017-S&R(B), issued instructions to all states in this context. Many parts of the country face drought and water crisis. Creating water bodies, recharging and revival of tanks, ponds, check dams were essential to solve the crisis. He had suggested that highway construction could be linked with such conservation activities.
Maharashtra government was the first to implement the idea of marrying water conservation with highway-building. On November 29, 2017, the state issued a government resolution specifying guidelines for allowing use of soil /stones dug from ponds, rivers, nullahs. The GR is applicable only for national highways and the proposed Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi super-highway to be built by the state.
Buldhana was chosen to implement the concept on pilot basis. Under the plan, NHAI officials, district collector, irrigation officials and contractors have to work in coordination. Once the spots are identified and material to be extracted is tested, agreement is signed. The contractors get the minor mineral free as the state waives royalty and any other cess. The contractor, in lieu, has to bear the cost of excavation, transportation and incidentals in creating or recharging a water body.
As per masterplan drawn for Buldhana in April this year, 12 works were sanctioned involving NHAI, state PWD, and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation. In all 133 tanks/ponds and 69 nullahs/ riverbeds were selected for excavation.
“It’s not easy to convince big contractors, mainly corporates, that execute national highway projects. They are reluctant to spend time in government approvals and nitty-gritty. The role of NHAI officials and district administration comes into play here. Once they realize that all are playing important part in ecological conservation, it works wonders,” said Balasaheb Theng, superintending engineer of Nagpur National Highway Circle.
Theng was involved in propagating the concept and is happy that results are encouraging. The state has saved over Rs40 crore that would be the cost of creating water bodies with storage capacity of 2,841 TMC or 284.10 crore litres of water that could fill up 2.84 lakh water tankers of 10,000 litre capacity each. “Contractors have borne expenses of reviving these water bodies thanks to their proactive approach. The state and especially farmers of the district would benefit as it would improve irrigation of farms,” said Theng.
As per a report published by TOI on July 31, Friends International, a city-based biodiversity conservation NGO, had proposed this sustainable and environment-friendly model for highways development to Gadkari.
Biodiversity consultant DR Chinchmalatpure said the current practice of building highways involves excavation of hard strata to be used as bed material. “As a general practice, this material is extracted from nearby hillocks and highland ranges, which play crucial role in maintaining ecological balance,” says Chinchmalatpure. He says, “These hillocks and highlands are key sources to control climate change impacts. Free flow of water in rivers is only because of highland ranges, and hence we should avoid extraction of material for highways from here.”
Chinchmalatpure, who has also apprised roads and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on the issue, proposes extraction of roadside material at minimum distance of 8km from where soft strata may be used for filling pits for tree plantation and for median plantation, while hard strata beneath the upper soil can be used for road construction.
“The hollow land created this way will conserve rainwater and turn into ponds, thereby helping water harvesting. This will also help save hillocks. Water in tanks and ponds created can also be used by farmers for irrigation,” says Chinchmalatpure. He, however, regrets that similar action is not being replicated across the country despite the success in Buldhana.
