The Khanapur Road, from Maratha Mandir to Third gate was planned to be widened and also a survey was done by the PWD in July 2011. The local residents opposed this widening and said that if Dharwad road is made 66 feet this road should also be made into a 66 feet which is the double of the present 30 feet road.
The said road comes under the NHAI as this is Part of NH 4A. In a reply to a RTI, the NHAI has categorically stated that they have no plans for widening the said road in the recent future.
But even after this reply from the NHAI the PWD & Forest department have called for Tenders for cutting down trees on Khanapur Road.
The tender is said to be opened at 3 pm on September 28, 2011.
There are 156 trees on the entire stretch many of which are above 50 years old.
The District forest officer clarified that the said trees come under the purview of the PWD and not the forest department and as the PWD had given an application stating that road needs to be widened the tender was called for.
Now who is interested in widening the road is the question to all?
When the NHAI under whom the road is maintained say that they will not do any widening then why is the PWD coming into picture to cut the trees saying that the road needs to be widened.
Are we smelling some scam here as well?
Many trees have already been chopped on the Angol road and other areas where roads have been widened, but have the replacement if trees being done.
Have new trees have being planted ? (in reality on paper many thousands are planted each year)
Whats the logic behind this tendering and cutting down trees when NHAI is not going widen the road?
Photo Credits: Prasad Parmaj
corruption corruption and only corruption
The first question arises is are they going to widen the roads? When it is clarified its not going to happen why are they chopping trees?..Every year they give few photos in the newspaper where trees are planted..but they do not realize this a long process where the plants have to grow, on the other side they chop trees agree if the road has to be widened trees need to be chopped..when they do not have any plans of widening..have they given a thought? the plants planted now are going to become trees after a long time….so why cut unnecessarily without perfect plan?
Please see who will be affected if the roads are widened. Some political leaders have built temples in order to save their illegal encroachment. People have been so wretched that they are using goad as shield for their greed. Whether NHAI widens the road or not , what is the harm in widening . This widening should include demolition of illegal encroachments immediately. All the buildingd should be in one line. Belgaum is the only city probably where the new buildings come up ahead of the old buildings. Is there any town planning, or only corruption planning. Also see the NH4a near camp. This is probably the narrowest NH in the country … Cheers !
Before cutting the trees, the existing roads should be set right with proper carpetting. The road in the camp area is so bad that people avoid this piece of highway and take to other inside lanes to save their bone joints and the health of the vehicles.
-Bheemasen Torgal