The latest transfer of land adds up to the 6.1909 hectares of forest land that is already earmarked for the project.
In a significant move, the Himachal Pradesh government is slated to hand over almost 2.74 hectares of non-forest land to the Ropeway and Rapid Transport System Development Corporation (RTDC). The land will be used for the 13.73-km Shimla ropeway project, which will cost Rs 1,743.40 crore. According to a report by the Indian Express, the project comes as one of the most significant urban mobility initiatives in northern India.
6.1909 hectares of forest land earmarked
The latest transfer of land adds up to the 6.1909 hectares of forest land that is already earmarked for the project. Notably, the non-forest parcels in close proximity to Shimla’s urban pockets are replete with scattered trees and shrubs. Officials are required to ascertain the number of trees on these sites.
A report quotes Rakesh Katoch, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), saying that the non-forest land identified in several pockets does have shrubs, trees, and other vegetation. The official stresses the need for clearing and axing some of the vegetation to ensure the construction of ropeway stations, the installation of towers, and the fixing of ropes.
Katoch adds, “As it is non-forest land, neither the user agency (RTDC) nor the state government is required to obtain permission from the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC). When work on this non-forest land begins, permission to axe trees, plants, shrubs, etc., will be sought only from the Tree Authority Committee (TAC) of the Shimla administration.”
820 trees to be cut
Several agencies, including the Municipal Corporation, PWD, IPH, and the state Forest Department, adhere to their own protocols, which are necessary for handing over land to another body, such as RTDC. In some of the regions, the designated non-forest tracts are located just beside the forest parcels slated for transfer.
The Forest Department seeks the felling of over 820 trees, with almost half of them being deodars, from forested areas. The RTDC has been given the responsibility to plant more than 4,000 saplings in Kullu’s Luhri region.
