3 years on, Tral road awaits forest clearance

Wahabsab Shar-Tral road. —Excelsior/Younis Khaliq
Wahabsab Shar-Tral road. —Excelsior/Younis Khaliq

Suhail Bhat
Tral, Jan 31: More than three years have elapsed since Government laid foundation stone for the construction of Pastoona-shar road in Tral area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama District but lack of forest clearance has stalled the project.
With an estimated cost of around Rs 16 crores the construction work on an eight-ten kilometers road stretch from Wahabsab Shar to Tral was started in 2015.The aim was to revive the old Mughal route along the foothills of picturesque Vastoorvun mountains, open doors of tourism and increase the connectivity of the area. However, reluctance from the Forest department to handover the land to the Roads and Building Department has marred the project.
For the last three years the Forest Department has failed to provide clearance to the Roads and Buildings Department, who are executing the project, thereby hampering the progress of the project. “The construction on the road was started soon after the foundation stone was laid. However, after the completion of just one kilometer, the forest officials stopped the work,” a Government official said. “Several timelines have been set and reset for the project but the construction work has failed to pick up”.
Executive Engineer, Roads and Buildings Department, Sajid Naqeeb, said indents have been placed with the concerned department and they were awaiting acquisition of the land. “Since a major part of the road goes through forest area we have to get the clearance. Once the land is handed over to us we will resume the construction work,” he said.
He informed that Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, is monitoring the project and has passed strict direction regarding the completion of the project.
An official at the Forest Department said as nearly 108 kanals of land are involved in the project and executive agency was asked for details. “After the work was started we received a letter from our department wherein we were directed to seek details of the project from the agency. The indents were also provided by the executive agency for approval but the Forest Department is yet to issue clearance in favor of the project,” an official said.
Asked about the possible reasons behind with holding the clearance, the official said: “The indents have been received some two-three months back and the process is underway. It normally takes two-three months to decide as the department has to see the impact of the project on the environment”, he said.
Locals of the area said that the road would serve as an alternative to nearly 40 villages of the Tral Township. “It will save our travel time and money. The road will allow us to bypass the congested Tral and connect the upper reaches of Tral area to the Pampore,” Ghulam Mohidin, a resident of Pastoona Tral said adding some of the influential businessmen are creating hurdles in the project as they fear loss in business.
MLA Tral, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah, said that the issue has already been taken up with the Forest Department and a positive response was expected. “We have already placed the indent and construction work will resume after obtaining forest clearance. Government is serious about the development of Tral Town,” he said.

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