U'khand okays forest land transfer for 3 roads near China border

Amid the continuing tension with China along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, the Uttarakhand State Wildlife Advisory Board has approved proposals for transfer of 73.36 hectares of forest land within the protected Gangotri National Park for construction of three strategically important roads near the India-China border.

The roads will reduce the distance to the border considerably and make easier the movement of Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel, who at present have walk up to 25 kms to reach there, officials said.

The proposals were approved on Monday during the 15th meeting of the board chaired by Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Principal Secretary (Forest) Anand Vardhan told PTI on Tuesday.

A recommendation for a final clearance will now be sent to the National Board for Wildlife within a week, Vardhan said.

The three stretches include the 17.60-km Mandi-Sangchola road, the 11.85-km Sumla-Thangla road and the 6.21-km Tripadi-Rangmachgaad road.

The roads are to be developed by the Central Public Works Department in the protected Gangotri National Park area in Uttarkashi district.

Around 73.36 hectares of forest land at different sites within the Gangotri National Park are to be transferred for construction of the roads, Vardhan said.

The board unanimously agreed that proposals for the construction of roads which are important from the point of view of national security should be sent to the National Board for Wildlife for final clearance, the officer said.

The panel also decided to send a recommendation to the National Board for Wildlife for transferring forest land for the expansion of Dehradun's Jollygrant Airport, he said.