The Gujarat government, under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s leadership, has decided to streamline the process of diverting protected forest land for future road widening projects. This decision aims to accelerate infrastructure development while upholding environmental protections. The state plans to proactively identify areas where road expansions may encroach on protected forests and submit consolidated proposals to the Central government in advance.
Government spokesperson Jitu Vaghani highlighted that the state will also secure non-forest land to compensate for the diverted forest areas, ensuring smoother approval processes. With the Roads and Buildings Department already progressing on widening projects covering about 1,000 hectares, future estimates suggest a potential need to divert around 2,000 hectares of forest land.
To facilitate this, the state has earmarked a 1,000-hectare non-forest land parcel in Kutch district for compensatory purposes and anticipates requiring an additional 2,000 hectares in the future. This strategic approach aims to minimize administrative hurdles related to land acquisition and forest clearances, ensuring timely project completion.
The government emphasizes that expedited approvals from the Centre will enable efficient road expansion projects while adhering to the requirement of compensating with non-forest land. This initiative not only enhances public transport efficiency and safety in Gujarat but also underscores the state’s commitment to balancing infrastructure growth with environmental preservation.
