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Meghalaya High Court permits building Part 1 of Shillong-Dawki national highway but stalls tree felling

The Meghalaya High Court has permitted the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) to proceed with constructing the first package of the Shillong-Dawki national highway. However, the court stalled tree felling along the 11.6-kilometre stretch from Rilbong to Mylliem Marbaniang.

Kaustav Paul filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) to protect the environment and preserve precious trees along the highway. The proposed highway, divided into five packages, sparked concerns about large-scale tree felling and environmental degradation.

The court directed NHIDCL and the contractor to:

– Proceed with construction, excluding tree felling, for the time being.

– Submit a joint report with the state government by November 29, 2024, detailing proposed afforestation measures.

– Furnish a copy of the report to the petitioner, Kaustav Paul.

– Appear before the court on December 3, 2024, for approval of the afforestation proposal and further directions .

The state has completed land acquisition and handed over the land to NHIDCL. 

A new contractor replaced the original one on September 25, 2023, with a two-year timeline to complete the work. 

Approximately 16.5% of the work and 14.3% of the financial allocation have been utilized. 

The petitioner emphasized the need for afforestation to maintain ecological balance and environmental beauty.

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