Justification for Locating Road Alignment in Forest Area

Project: DPR for Development of Economic Corridors, Inter Corridors, Feeder Routes and Coastal Roads to Improve the Efficiency of Freight Movement in (Lot-1 / / Package-6): 4 Laning of Jaisinghnagar – Section (PKG IV) from km 120+000 to km 159+380 of Rewa-Shahdol Road (SH-9) in the State of Madhya Pradesh

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) under the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRT&H), Government of India has been entrusted with the assignment of Development of Economic Corridors, Inter-Corridors, Feeder Routes and Coastal Roads primarily to improve freight movement in Country. With a view to this, it has been proposed to improve the existing road to 4-lane road and the widening /improvement to be carried out within the existing right of way reserve avoiding the acquisition of land except for locations having inadequate width.

Package IV of the road is starts near Jaisinghnagar village of and passes entirely though Shahdol District before terminating before Shahdol Town. The length of the road is 39.380 km.

Forests are located along the existing road in sporadic patches on either side of the road. Therefore, widening of existing road will involve diversion of forest land. It may also be considered that a green field alignment as an alternative to the existing road will result acquisition of more forest land. Therefore, widening of existing road has been finalized taking into consideration of minimum diversion of forest land and to safeguard the regional ecology.

Date: 30.11.2018 (Sumesh Banzal) Place: Katni Project Director NHAI, PIU-Katni (MP)

4 Laning of Jaisinghnagar –Shahdol Section (PKG IV) from km 120+000 to km 159+380 of Rewa-Shahdol Road (SH-9)