The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to submit a proposal to the Central Road Transport Department by July 31 regarding the development of the Nagpur-Katol Road, which passes through a tiger corridor.
The order came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Dinesh Thakre and Sumit Babuta. In the plea, they requested speedy completion of the road work. Their advocate told the court that the road passes through a sensitive tiger corridor, and urgent action is required to avoid further delays.
Initially, the entire 48-kilometre stretch from Nagpur to Katol was planned to be developed under a single contract. However, the project was delayed due to technical and other challenges. Now, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to divide the work into separate components.
The 11.90-kilometre Katol Bypass and the 8.10-kilometre stretch passing through Tiger Corridor-1 have been excluded from the original contract. These sections will now be developed under separate tenders. The estimated cost of developing the Tiger Corridor portion alone is around Rs 500 crore. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Katol Bypass has already been prepared.
HC Seeks Affidavit on Encroachment Removal from Nagpur-Fetri Road
In a related matter, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court has directed the lawyer representing the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to file an affidavit regarding the removal of encroachments on the Nagpur-Fetri Road, which are reportedly delaying development work.
During the hearing, the court questioned whether its earlier order to clear the encroachments had been implemented. The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in this case was filed by Advocate Arun Patil, with Senior Advocate Firdous Mirza appearing on his behalf.
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