The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change advisory committee granted in-principle approval for the diversion of 34.88 hectares of reserved and deemed forest area in East and North Garo Hills districts for improvement and widening of National Highway 127B. The clearance covers road work on the Darugiri–Songsak–Williamnagar junction that links Shillong via West Khasi Hills to East and North Garo Hills while bypassing Guwahati. The project requires the felling of 4,444 trees in the forest tract. Forest department submissions to the committee indicated that the area supports wildlife such as barking deer, leopard cat, wild boar, common fox, common mongoose, monitor lizard, Malayan giant squirrel and jungle fowl among other species. Officials reported that no protected areas lie within a 10 km radius of the project and that no archaeological, heritage or defence sites were identified in the project zone. The department also stated that 1,478 trees have girth below 60 cm and 2,966 have girth above 60 cm and that the area is classed as Eco Class-1, very dense forest according to ministry classifications. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd will improve and widen a section of National Highway No. 127B into two lanes with paved shoulders from Darugiri to Williamnagar junction over a distance of 36.635 km. The work is proposed on an Engineering, Procurement, Construction mode and the decision to proceed followed deliberations with state and central forest officials. Compensatory afforestation is planned on 34.8877 hectares of non-forest land in Dagal Bolmedangh village under Dambo Rongjeng Block. State authorities conveyed that the road is intended to shorten travel time for people travelling from Shillong to Williamnagar by avoiding a circuitous route through Guwahati, and that it is expected to boost tourism, support local industry and assist quicker transport of agricultural produce. Officials indicated that the project will provide wider developmental opportunities for the region while mitigation measures and compensatory planting will be used to address forest loss. Project execution and monitoring will be overseen jointly by the highways agency and forest department teams.