Kendrapara: Environmentalists in the district have pressed the alarm button over the proposed coastal highway project in the state.
They fear that the revised map of the coastal highway will destroy the sensitive biodiversity of the national park and its natural surroundings in the district.
A state level high-powered committee headed by Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra recently held a meeting to study the revised roadmap of the coastal highway in Bhubaneswar.
Additional CS Pradeep Jena, Additional CS (Forest and Environment) Mona Sharma, Principal Secretary (Finance) Ashok Meena, Principal Secretary (Revenue) Bishnupad Sethi, the state head of the NHAI Ram Prashad Panda took part in the deliberations.
The coastal highway will go through many districts in the state, including 49 km in Kendrapara. The highway will pass through Jambu forest, Gahirmatha range areas, and Satabhaya in the national park up to Dhamra in Bhadrak.
The highway will call for bridges over several villages and join the ports in the state. Hemant Kumar Rout, Secretary of Marine Turtles and Mangrove Conservation Committee, said they will oppose the proposed coastal highway project.
He said, out of 672 sq km area that was declared as Bhitarakanika Sanctuary in 1975, 145 sq km was upgraded as a national park. Bhitarkanika Sanctuary was recognised as a Ramsar site in 2002.
Its mangroves, bio-diversity and wildlife have always amused nature lovers. He feared that the proposed costal highway along this natural site will destroy the wildlife, marine creatures, and the sea wall.
Acclaimed nature lover Anirudha Rout said vehicular traffic on the proposed coastal highway will endanger the lives of wild animals.
He said Olive Ridley turtles will not come to this area because of the noise that will be created by the vehicular traffic on the coastal highway.
Olive Ridley turtles used to lay eggs along a length of 25 km of the sea beach between Mangala river and Harichandi mouth along the Bay of Bengal under Bramhagiri forest range in Puri district.
However, this has stopped since 2014. The same may be repeated at Gahirmatha if the coastal highway project comes up, he added.
PNN
