SRINAGAR: The widening of the Srinagar-Baramulla-Uri road has led to the diversion of 20.9352 hectares of forest land in Baramulla district. The details were provided by the Minister in charge of the Forest, Ecology, and Environment Department in a written response to a question by MLA Sajjad Shafi.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is executing the Section-4 widening project. Official data confirms that 740 forest trees are involved in the project. These include 623 trees and 117 poles within the 30-60 cm diameter range. The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change granted the final diversion approval for this stretch.
To compensate for the ecological loss, the user agency has paid a total of Rs 3,83,75,627 to the government. This amount includes Rs 2,87,31,678 as the Net Present Value (NPV) of the diverted forest land. Additionally, Rs 96,43,949 was realised for compensatory afforestation.
The Forest Department has identified three sites for compensatory afforestation on degraded forest land. These include Kitchama Forest in Baramulla Range, and Mond Forest and Khahmoh in the Hamal Range of the JV Forest Division. A proposal to plant 27,000 saplings across 27 hectares has been approved. Authorities noted that no plantation targets were assigned for 2026 as the primary activities were completed during 2024-25.
Specific restoration measures are also being implemented along the affected stretch. The BRO has carried out slope stabilisation and ecological restoration works. These measures include the construction of 4,315 square metres of crate walls and 15,900 square metres of gabion walls to protect the environment and prevent soil erosion.
