USE OF FOREST LAND FOR BUNDELKHAND E-WAY OKAYED

The ministry of environment, forest and climate change has given approval for utilization of 77.278 hectares of forest land in stage-2 of the Bundelkhand Expressway.

Chief executive officer (CEO), UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UEIDA), Awanish Kumar Awasthi said the construction of the Bundelkhand Expressway was in full swing and 18.30% of physical work had been completed.

For the construction of the expressway, the state government acquired 3.2275 hectares forest land in Chitrakoot district, 7.8758 hectares in Banda, 8.65 hectares in Hamirpur, 2.4868 hectares in Mahoba, 11.913 hectares in Jalaun, 22.9393 hectares in Auraiya and 7.2940 hectares in Etawah for stage- 2 of the project.

The ministry had already given its approval to UPEIDA for the use of 77.278 hectares of forest land for non- forestry use for stage-1 of the expressway in February. According to the condition, the UPEIDA has provided non-forest land to the UP forest department for plantation of trees. UPEIDA would give fund for tree plantation and work and the forest department in turn would maintain the trees for 10 years to strengthen the environment, he said.

Bundelkhand expressway will start from Bharatkup in Chitrakoot district near JhansiAllahabad national highway and end at Kudrail village in Etawah district near Agra-Lucknow Expressway. Chitrakoot, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, Jalaun and Etawah will benefit from the project. The expressway will connect Bundelkhand region with Delhi via Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Yamuna Expressway. It will play an important role in the development of Bundelkhand region.

THE MINISTRY HAD ALREADY GIVEN ITS APPROVAL TO UPEIDA FOR USE OF 77.278 HECTARES OF FOREST LAND