New Delhi

An expert panel of the environment ministry has recommended the grant of environment clearance (EC) to a 235-km greenfield expressway connecting Varanasi and Kolkata, which requires the diversion of more than 103 hectares of reserved and protected forest land in West Bengal.

A part of the proposed National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) project, which involves the construction of a four-to-six lane expressway and costs Rs 9,250 crore, will also pass through a tiger landscape.

The details of the project were discussed at the 444th meeting of the expert panel, known as the expert appraisal committee (EAC), which took place between April 23 and April 24.

The project will run through the districts of Purulia, Bankura, Pashchim Mednipur, Hoogli and Howrah, and will require cutting of 40,000 trees in non-forest areas and 10,000 in forest areas, according to the minutes of the meeting.

While the Jangal Mahal Elephant Corridor is located 7.75 km to the south of the project, “the elephant corridors are crossing the present highway alignment at different location”.

Also, the study area of the proposed project hosts 17 Schedule-I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, such as jackal, sambar deer, striped hyena, Indian fox, Indian elephant and leopard. To tackle wildlife movement, the NHAI has proposed 20 elephant-cum-wildlife underpasses.

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“The committee (EAC) was of the view that wildlife crossing structures shall be strictly as per recommendations of the DFO (divisional forest officer) including the recommendations for 300 metres span and no underpass shall be of the span lesser than that prescribed by the DFO,” according to the minutes of the meeting.

The EAC also said that the wildlife underpasses have to be eight to 10 metres in height.