Shillong, June 23: The social media in Meghalaya is in uproar over the felling of trees at 7th Mile, Upper Shillong, for the purpose of widening of the road for the Shillong-Dawki highway. The netizens have been in rage on Tuesday and Wednesday after the trees near the Eastern Air Command were cut to make way for the 4-laning project.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma also joined the voices to express his resentment of this development. Describing the scene of the fallen trees as ‘disturbing’ through his social media handles, the Chief Minister on Wednesday said, “We need to balance between development and environment.”
These images are indeed disturbing I have asked NHIDCL to stop it immediately till we can find a better solution. We need to balance between development and environment. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/304tesUGS0
— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) June 23, 2021
He said he has asked the National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) to stop the felling of trees immediately till a better solution can be found.
After the team from PWD led by ACS (PWD) visited the site the iconic stretch is mostly intact and not touched and will not be touched. We are further examining the matter. pic.twitter.com/VwiMMC7er0
— Conrad Sangma (@SangmaConrad) June 23, 2021
Many of the social media users are dismayed over the scene, reminiscing their drives through the stretch of English pines lining both sides of the road, which will remain just a memory, now. Whereas, others called for stopping the work and to find alternatives. Many were unhappy about the damage being brought to the ecosystem as well as ruining the aesthetic beauty while entering the Shillong City.
Pro-development voices
Yet, there is another set of users who bat for felling of the trees but expect more trees to be planted elsewhere. These users are of the opinion that a bit of damage ought to take place for development, which will ease the lives of thousands driving to and fro from Shillong once life returns to normal.
Many recalled the harrowing times at long traffic jams during the pre-lockdown times, which usually lasted for hours especially during the school and office opening and closing hours.
They argued that when such blocks were common, there were cries for expansion of roads and alternate routes but when work is being done for the same, there is again hue and cry over the damage to the environment.
Shillong – Dawki Highway
The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHICDL) has been tasked with the widening of the National Highway-40 from Shillong to Tamabil that links Meghalaya with Bangladesh. The road project is being funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to the tune of Rs 1,251 crore. The project has a completion deadline of December 2023.
In order to complete the 71-km-long project on time, the NHIDCL has divided it into four packages which have been awarded to various agencies.
Package 1 includes an 11 km four-lane road that has been allotted to SS Infrazone Pvt. Ltd at Rs 91.26 crore. The road will be converted to four-lane from Umshyrpi bridge in Shillong to Bañiun at 7th Mile, Upper Shillong.
Package 2 has been awarded to ARSS Infrastructure Projects Ltd which includes improvement or widening to two-lane with paved shoulder (from design km 10.670 to km 37.550) on a 26 km stretch at the cost of Rs 210 crore.
Package 4 has been awarded to SS Infrazone Pvt Ltd that involves improvement or widening to two-lane with paved shoulder on a 17 km stretch from design km 45.760 to km 63.530), at the cost of Rs 88.2-crore.
Package 5 is to the tune of Rs 141.14-crore and has been awarded to Niraj Cement Structural Ltd which includes improvement or widening to two-lane with paved shoulder and four-lane from design km 63.530 to km 71.520.
The widening also includes construction of a new bridge over Umngot River at Dawki. The new bridge at Dawki will be of 368 metres length and 12.5 metres width, and it will be built upward of the existing bridge. The existing single lane 136-metre suspension bridge was built by the British since 1932 as an overland link between the then provinces of East Bengal and Assam.
