Rs 700 cr Uttarakhand tunnel plan flagged by experts

12 Jun 2021 CW Team

The centre’s plan to construct a 3 km long tunnel at the cost of Rs 700 crore to decongest Mussoorie, has been flagged by forest officials, environmentalists and scientists.

Forest officials, environmentalists and scientists raised concerns about what it could do to the fragile geography of the region. They said that they were not consulted and that a large portion of the town hill is prone to landslides, and the water system across India could be affected by the disturbance to the Mussoorie Ridge.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway (MoRTH) Mussoorie 'bypass' will be constructed below the main town and connect Cart Mackenzie Road to a point right before Kempty falls.

A forest official said that neither forest officials nor the scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology have been in the loop for the project, which would entail the loss of 3,000 oak, deodar and maple trees.

The environmentalists told the media that the project could end up disrupting the water systems, and the locals are worried too.

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Also read: Double-tube four-lane tunnel on Srinagar-Jammu NH to open soon

Also read: NHIDCL to build 3 high altitude tunnels

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