Rs 2,000 crore eco-tourism circuit to come up in Uttarakhand

NBCC (India) has forayed into the road construction space with a mandate to construct an eco-tourism circuit along Kotdwar-Ramnagar Kandi Road in Uttarakhand.<br /> To this end, a MoU was signed between Yogesh JP Sharma, Executive Director-Engineering, NBCC, and Anup Malik, Managing Director, Ecotourism Development Corporation of Uttarakhand (EDCUL), in the presence of Harak Singh Rawat, Minister for Forest, Government of Uttarakhand.<br /> <br /> The 50-km, four-lane highway road project will be partly straight and partly elevated, like a flyover or bridge to allow for the free movement of wild animals underneath. It will be developed under the green infrastructure or green road model, and is estimated to cost Rs 20 billion. The Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, will be the partner institute of NBCC for ecological planning of the project, which will be conducted through satellite data.<br /> 'We are always scouting for growth opportunities in existing and new sectors,' said Dr <span style="font-weight: bold;">Anoop Kumar Mittal, Chairman Cum Managing Director, NBCC.</span> 'With the government's thrust on road and highway construction, we foresee immense opportunities in this space.'<br /> <br /> The Kotdwar-Ramnagar Kandi road, passing through the Jim Corbett National Park, Garhwal and Kumaon mandals, will be interconnected and the distance of Kotdwar, Kalagarh and Ramnagar from Dehradun will be greatly reduced. The challenging aspect of the project is the road stretch traversing through the National Park, requiring an ecological balance of 'development with conservation'. Focussing on environment and wildlife preservation, the company will execute the work while adopting green initiatives. The scope of work will also include allied services such as maintenance works, public convenience sites, etc.<br />