the goan I network
BELAGAVI
While activists have alleged that work on the four-laning of NH4A has continued despite an interim stay by the Karnataka High Court, sources at the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had claimed that work is underway in unprotected and non-reserved forest areas between Ramnagar and Tinaighat section of the NH4A.
This came to light as dumpers and machinery was engaged in the four-laning of the highway on Sunday.
It may be recalled that Karnataka High Court had granted interim stay on the ongoing four-laning of the NH4A on December 5, until the next hearing posted on January 6, 2020. A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Pradeep Singh Yerur had granted the stay after hearing the PIL filed by noted actor and environmentalist Suresh Heblikar and journalist activist Jospeh Hoover.
The petitioners had strongly objected to the indiscriminate felling of about 22,000 trees and claimed that over 1 lakh trees may go under the axe while clearing the entire 85-km road between Belagavi and Anmod ghat connecting Panaji.
This, in turn, would adversely affect wildlife and surrounding protected forests in the region, causing imbalance in the eco sensitive zone of the Western Ghats, they claimed.
Sources at the NHAI have rejected claims by environmentalists and activists that ongoing work amounted to contempt of court.
They claimed that since work has continued in non-protected forest area, it cannot be termed as contempt of court.
Meanwhile, impatient over the delay in completing the road, vehicles have started moving between Goa and Belagavi via the Anmod ghat road.
However, there have been huge traffic jams due to narrow and incomplete stretches across the section between Ramnagar and Anmod ghat section.
