Activists seek eco-assessment of coastal highway

KENDRAPADA

: Green activists have urged the government to conduct a strict environment impact assessment (EIA) for the 451km Gopalpur-Digha coastal

highway

under the Centre's Bharatmala Pariyojana before implementing the project.

"Since the highway almost entirely falls in Odisha and the state's coastline is dotted with many ecosystems like the mangrove forest touching Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada (Bhitarakanika) and Bhadrak districts, marine sanctuary and the famous olive ridley nesting ground at Gahirmatha,

Chilka

lake, casuarina forests and wetlands, the government must study the project's possible impact on the environment before implementing it. Development cannot happen by destroying the ecosystems," said Biswajit Mohanty of the Wildlife Society of Odisha (WSO). The project has instilled a sense of fear among fishermen who depend on the coast for their livelihood. "Fishermen of Chilka lake are worried as the project envisages the construction of bridges over the brackish water lagoon. The government should take the fishermen living along the coast into confidence before going ahead with the project," said K Alaya, secretary of the Odisha Traditional Fish Workers' Union (OTFWU). State development commissioner Balakrishnan had recently asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to follow the alignment of the highway in accordance with CRZ rules?, development of the existing roads and bypassing densely populated areas, wildlife sanctuaries and forest areas to the extent possible.

Official sources said the proposed coastal highway will pass through Chhatrapur-Satapada, Konark- Astaragnga-Nuagaon-ParadeepRatanpur-Satabhaya-Dhamara-Basudevpur-Talapada-

Chandipur-Chandaneswar Digha. Of the total length of 451km, around 29km falls under Ganjam district, 153km under Puri district, 54km under Jagatsinghpur, 49km under Kendrapada, 61km under Bhandrak, 99km under Balasore district and 6km connecting east Medinipur in

West Bengal

.

Bridges will be constructed on Rushikulya, Palur sahib canal, Chilka lake, Dhanikhiya river, Nua, Khushabhadra, Kadua, Devi, Hansua, Mahanadi, Gobari, Patashala, Brahmani, Baitarani and Subarnarekha.


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