The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on Monday sharply criticized the forest department for failing to cooperate with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) regarding the planned widening of the Katol Naka to Fetri road. The court said if the forest department does not share records of roads then they should construct the road from their funds.
While hearing a public interest litigation filed by former High Court Bar Association (HCBA) president Adv Arun Patil, a division bench led by Justice Nitin Sambre and Justice Abhay Mantri instructed Additional Government Pleader Deepak Thakre to convey the court’s concerns to senior forest department officials. The court noted, “Our previous judgment addressed the issue of providing forest land for development. If the forest department fails to cooperate, they should be given responsibility for the entire road construction.”
The court directed the forest department to provide nec- essary data of forest land to the NHAI for widening of the new bituminous Katol Naka to Fetri road. During the hear- ing, counsel for NHAI Adv Anish Kathane said that a study is being done on whether the Katol Naka-Fetri road can be widened with bitumen and the necessary information has been sought from the forest department. But the forest de- partment has not provided the information, he added.
It may be mentioned here that the Katol Naka to Fetri road runs through the Gorewada Zoo, which is managed by the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM). The NHAI has proposed widening the road by seven meters on each side. However, in a previous hearing, the High Court expressed concerns that a road made of paver blocks could pose a safety risk for two-wheelers. Additionally, the petitioner’s counsel, senior advocate Firdos Mirza, argued that the entire road should be developed with bitumen to a width of 11 meters.
Wadi flyover will be operational on Sept 15
The PWD has informed the court that the Wadi flyover will be open to traffic by September 15. Additionally, the flyover connecting the RTO to the university campus is expected to be completed by March 2025. The court has directed the NHAI to maintain the service roads and ensure they remain in good condition.
Yesterday, five judges from the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court traveled to Amravati by road. Justice Nitin Sambre noted that there was no plantation on either side of the road or in the median. He questioned the whereabouts of the originally planned greenery, given that the road had been constructed many years ago.