After 35-year wait, WII nod to ghat road proposal

Kolhapur: The Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has cleared the proposal for constructing a ghat road connecting Shivdav and Sonawade, which was pending for the last 35 years.

The institute has proposed construction of three bridges on the route, which will not obstruct animal passage in the Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary. The officials of WII conducted a year-long year study of the route before finally giving its clearance. The forest officials have objected to the proposal on the grounds of presence of tiger in the Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary.

Now, the construction of the 8.5km-long stretch through the Sanctuary is one step closer to reality. Rest of the construction work was completed in last three decades, but the forest department's objections stood in the way of the proposal getting through.

The proposal to construct the road through dense forest was being pushed hard as it would connect Bhudargad tehsil of Kolhapur district directly with Sindhudurg's Kudal tehsil. The Goa-bound travellers will get additional benefit, as the route would be the closest to reach the state via Kolhapur.

As compared to the existing routes via Amboli or Fonda ghats, Shivdav-Sonavade ghat would reduce the distance between Kolhapur and Goa by at least by 30km.

Former deputy engineer of PWD R K Desai, who supported the ghat construction, said, "As many as three roads connect Kolhapur with Sindhudurg, which are widely used by tourists and transporters to reach Goa. People from southern parts of Kolhapur use the Amboli ghat route, while those from north Kolhapur use Fonda and Karul ghats that are closer to Kankavali tehsil in Sindhudurg. Amboli connects with Sawantwadi tehsil and further with Mumbai-Goa national highway no. 17. The proposed new route will also help in reaching Malvan, Kudal and Vengurla tehsils in Sindhudurg."

"It will be an east to west spread ghat with a comfortable slope at Anjiwade village. It is a natural slope because of which converting it into a ghat would do no harm," he added.

Bhudargad forest, which is good in density, shelters wildlife animals such as Indian gaurs, leopards and Indian giant squirrels.

As per the road development draft of 1981-2001, the Math-Kudal-Pandoor-Ghotage road is identified as a state highway and has to be constructed in tar. As these villages are sharing boundary with the forest, the route would be the only east to west connection in the entire forest region.

Sitaram Zure, divisional forest officer of Kolhapur, said, "Our office had sent the proposal emphasising on more underpasses for the wildlife so that they avoid using the road for crossing. It is good that WII has addressed our demands."