Jammu, April 1: The Government today informed the Legislative Assembly that Rs. 3,83,75,627 has been realised under Compensatory Afforestation (CA) and Net Present Value (NPV) following diversion of forest land for the Srinagar–Baramulla National Highway.
This was stated by Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, while replying to a question raised by legislator Dr Sajjad Shafi.
The Minister said the user agency has deposited the required compensatory levies, including Rs. 96,43,949 for compensatory afforestation and Rs. 2,87,31,678 towards the Net Present Value of the diverted forest land.
He added that compensatory measures such as afforestation and ecological restoration have been undertaken in lieu of the forest land diverted for widening of the Srinagar–Baramulla National Highway. A proposal for plantation of 27,000 saplings over 27 hectares of degraded forest land has been prepared and approved by the competent authority. No separate plantation target has been fixed for 2026 as the plantation activities were completed during 2024–25.
Regarding environmental safeguards, the Minister informed that slope stabilisation works are being executed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) along the affected stretch. These include construction of breast walls and retaining walls at multiple locations, with 22,315 metres envisaged under the DPR, of which 15,900 metres have been completed so far.
He further said that a total of 20.9352 hectares of forest land has been diverted for construction of the Srinagar–Baramulla–Uri Road (Section-4) in District Baramulla under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Final forest diversion approval was granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change vide File No.9-JKC-003/2023-Jammu.
The Government reiterated its commitment to ensuring that infrastructure development is undertaken in an environmentally sustainable manner, with due focus on mitigation and restoration measures.
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