However, MSRDC said the afforestation effort will surpass the loss caused by deforestation. "For every tree axed, three tree will be planted in its place," said an MSRDC official.
While the proposed 701-km Mumbai-Nagpur Super Communication Expressway is expected to boost the state's economy, the draft environmental impact assessment report (EIA) prepared by the executing agency, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), states that 5,309 trees will have to be felled for the construction of the Expressway on the 155-km stretch between Jalna district in Marathwada to Aurangabad.
The number of trees expected to be felled does not even amount to half of the total proposed construction of the Expressway. The EIA report also states that 26.8 hectares of forest land will have to be diverted to make way for the Expressway's construction.
However, MSRDC said the afforestation effort will surpass the loss caused by deforestation. "For every tree axed, three tree will be planted in its place," said an MSRDC official.
The draft EIA report for the 155-km stretch between Jalna and Aurangabad, which has been accessed by DNA, also states, "The key negative, permanent and irreversible impact will occur along the proposed alignment. There will be a loss of forest land of about 26.8 hectares".
"There will also be a loss of 5,309 trees, of which 399 are in the forest area and 4,910 belong to the non-forest area."
Between Bhiwandi and Nagpur, 84 per cent of the required land for the Expressway construction is prime agricultural land, while 13 per cent is uncultivated land. The remaining 1.92 per cent is forest land.
The report further states that the construction of the highway will also have an impact on water bodies as well as air quality and noise levels.
Deterioration of air quality due to fugitive dust emission from construction activities like excavation, backfilling and concreting, the report reads.
However, the report has also suggested mitigation measure for every negative impact on the environment. The draft EIA report prepared by MSRDC is a part of the detailed project report (DPR) of the Expressway. The EIA report reveals the impact of the project on environment and also suggests mitigatory measures that could be taken in order to have minimum impact on environment.
A public hearing will be conducted by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) before the draft is converted into a final report.
The Rs 46,000-crore Expressway project is expected to reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur to 10 hours from the current 15-17 hours. Land acquisition for the project has been mired in controversy as farmers, along with opposition parties including ally Shiv Sena, have been opposing the acquisition of 20,000 hectares for the Expressway, a dream project of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Paving the way
Around 5,309 trees will have to be felled for the stretch between Jalna and Aurangabad.
Also, 6.8 hectares of forest land will be diverted.
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