Big relief regarding Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass project of Rs 1878 crore, Punjab government recommends Stage 2 forest clearance

Zirakpur Panchkula Bypass Project: Major progress has finally been made on the long pending ₹1,878 crore Zirakpur-Panchkula bypass project in Punjab. on friday Punjab Forest Secretary of (Forest Secretary) Filed to Forest Minister recommending pending Stage-2 Forest Clearance for this project (Forest Minister) Has been sent for final approval.

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This step has been taken at a time when, just hours ago, The Tribune had published a detailed report highlighting the delays of the Punjab Forest Department. It was reported in the report that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Despite getting approval from the CCEA-led Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) eight months ago, the file regarding forest clearance remained stuck with the Forest Secretary for almost two weeks and during this time the questions were not even answered.

What will happen next now?

A senior Punjab government official confirmed that the file is now with the Forest Minister following the recommendation of the Forest Secretary. “As soon as the minister gives formal approval, the process will enter the next phase,” the official said. After the approval of the Forest Minister, the file will be sent to the Integrated Regional Office (IRO), Chandigarh of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), from where the final Stage-2 Forest Clearance Certificate will be issued. Officials say that this process will not take much time.

NHAI got relief

Due to delay in this forest clearance, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had to extend the date of tender repeatedly. Recently, the bid deadline was extended for the sixth time as the work cannot be awarded without Stage-2 clearance. According to NHAI officials, the department had already fulfilled all the conditions and objections of the forest department, but the approval was stuck.

Why is this project important for Tricity?

This six-lane bypass, about 19.2 kilometers long, has been proposed for the last decade. The land acquisition work has been completed in 2020. It includes a 6.195 km elevated section, several flyovers, underpasses, bridges and a railway overbridge. This bypass is designed to divert heavy and local traffic from the heavily congested Zirakpur–Panchkula corridor of NH-5 and NH-7. Besides, it is also an important part of the upcoming Tricity Ring Road.

Hope for relief from traffic jam

After months of administrative hurdles, with the forest clearance file moving forward, there is now hope that a solution to the daily traffic problem of the Tricity (Chandigarh-Mohali-Panchkula) may soon come to fruition. Officials believe that if there are no further obstacles, the work of this much-awaited project will soon be allotted.