The long-delayed Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) may have to “fly” over core areas of the draft eco-sensitive Bannerghatta National Park as it attempts to connect seven towns that encircle Bengaluru. Preliminary documents submitted by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to the Ministry of Environment and Forests in June to obtain the terms of reference show that the STRR will pass through the core areas of the national park, even if it is elevated for a nearly 7-km stretch. The draft feasibility report submitted holds clues on the impact of the project and the 179.63-km alignment, which has been modified since the original 115-km alignment was drawn up by the Bangalore Metropolitan Regional Development Authority.
The report has some good news. The modified alignment — which encompasses Hosur town also — spares at least three major forests which were in danger as per the original alignment.
However, the “unavoidable” casualty is the 104.3-sq. km area of the national park which is in the alignment of the proposed six-lane road that will connect Ramanagaram with Hosur. More than 19 hectares, much of it falling in a critical corridor seeing elephant movement, is proposed to be diverted for the road within the park.
19.09 hectares of forest land needed for project
A decade after its conception, the 179.63-km-long Satellite Town Ring Road is seeing some tangible movement, and will be implemented in three phases to avoid delays owing to forest clearance.
The NHAI, which is implementing the more than ₹5,980-crore project (excluding land acquisition) through the Bharatmala Pariyojana, had sent preliminary documents to the Ministry Environment and Forests early in June to obtain the terms of reference. This would enable the NHAI to conduct a detailed Environment Impact Assessment as part of implementing the ambitious project.
Detailed schematics of Phase I of the new road, between Dobbspet and Kailancha in Ramanagaram, shows that the 82-km-long stretch would skirt three reserve forests. Unlike the earlier alignment conceptualised by the State government, the new alignment spares elephant-populated Savandurga forest (in which previously at least 7 km of the road was to pass through), Siddara Betta forest (3.7 km of the road), and vulture sanctuary of Ramadevara Betta (600 m).
Phase III is entirely in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu circling Hosur town. However, Phase II, of nearly 55.8-km length, traverses through the boundaries of the draft eco-sensitive zone of the Bannerghatta National Park as well as its core area.
The draft feasibility report notes that 19.09 hectares of forest land will be needed for the project, and the NHAI aims to offset the expected adverse environment impact by constructing a 6.27-km-long elevated corridor through the park. A perusal of the topographical maps of the project provided to the MoEF shows that while the elevated corridor will fly over the core areas, at least another 7 km will be built through the draft eco-sensitive zone around the park.
Similarly, the NHAI has submitted that the width of the road will be restricted to 28.5 m within the park, while the rest of the road will have a width of 75 m.
The extent of the damage to the delicate ecosystem housing elephants, leopards and other endangered flora and fauna will be known only after the EIA report is prepared, following which mitigation can be designed.
NHAI to begin work soon; activists fear irreparable damage
The Satellite Town Ring Road is no more just a plan on paper, but by the end of the year, it is likely that there will be tangible progress on the ground. For two phases of the three-phase project, the National Highways Authority of India has started the process of issuing preliminary notifications for acquisition of more than 3,000 acres of land.
A senior NHAI official said that within three months, they would be issuing preliminary notifications and by December-end, the compensation rates would be determined and relief awarded subsequently. Movement on the 55.8-km stretch that will traverse through the Bannerghatta National Park, however, will be on hold till forest and wildlife clearances are obtained.
“We have held meetings with the Department of Forests and we think that with enough mitigation, the project will not harm the forests. Forest clearances may get delayed, but we have started the process of acquiring land in other two phases of the project,” said a senior NHAI officer.
In meetings with forest officials, NHAI officials claimed alternatives were not feasible — including the one that cuts through the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, and another where the terrain on the Tamil Nadu side made it impossible for construction.
“We explored the alternatives, and the least damage could perhaps be done by building an elevated road on the existing road. We will be monitoring the project and have given inputs to the NHAI to ensure that animal movement is not affected,” said C. Jayaram, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife). Elevated road having a minimum of 6-m clearance to allow for elephants to pass through, noise barriers along the road, and construction in phases on the existing road so that animal movement is not inhibited are among the mitigation measures planned.
However, most agree that there will be a long-term damage there. Sanjay Gubbi, conservationist who has worked on the conservation of the Bannerghatta National Park, said an elevated road through the forests would do little to mitigate long-term damage. “During construction, the noise, dust and choas will fragment the forests. Even with the elevated corridor, the noise and vibrations will impact movement of elephants or leopards here. The Environment Impact Assessment reports usually present a rosy picture for mitigation, but we have seen in numerous highway projects that once the approvals are given, authorities or contractors are not interested in implementing many measures,” he said.
Infrastructure projects have long used the excuse of “unavoidable” to divert forest land, often without wider public consultation, he said. “Barely 4% of the country’s land are forests and linear projects such as these are fragmenting them irreparably,” said Mr. Gubbi.
