CANACONA
Ruling out immediate permission to use forest land for improvement of the sharp curve along a narrow stretch of the NH66 at Karmalghat, the forest department has asked the PWD (Highway) to apply for diversion of forest land in the PARVIRESH portal of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
In response to the PWD (Highway), Canacona, request for road-widening work, the Assistant Conservator of Forests (South Division) at Margao informed that the area sought to be used for improvements of the sharp curve is forest land and use of forest land for any non-forestry purpose requires processing under the Forest (Conservation) Act.
The PWD (highway) would, therefore, need to apply for diversion of forest land with necessary documents in the PARIVESH portal of MoEF&CC.
The forest department also highlighted its preliminary observation that a proposal already uploaded on PARIVESH portal for diversion of 29.836 ha of forest land for four-laning of the existing NH-17 from 475.040 km to 611.000 km in the State under NHDP-III (Patradevi to Polem Section on NH-17) covers the portion of the land for which permission is sought now and added that this diversion proposal is under progress.
