DEVELOPMENT OF 08-LANE ACCESS CONTROLLED EXPRESSWAY ON THE RIGHT BANK OF UPPER GANGA CANAL FROM SANOUTA BRIDGE (Greater Noida) TO NEAR PURKAJI (DISTRICT MUZAFFARNAGAR) BEFORE UTTAR PRADESH-UTTRAKHAND BORDER

This proposed 148 km long 8-lane access controlled Expressway starting from Sanouta Bridge in Greater Noida is passing through western Uttar Pradesh and will connect National Capital Region (NCR) to Uttarakhand border near Purkazi. This unique multi-dimensional project includes development of Expressway, 7 Hydro Electric Power Stations (HEPS) and navigation facilities, besides the ancillary works of rehabilitation of Upper Ganga Canal, construction of service road and access road, raising of NH bridges and railway bridges and connecting roads and interchanges.

The approximate cost of the project and ancillary works amounts to Rs.8,911 crores.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/3650/uppergangacanal.jpg

from
Ministry of Environment and Forests
Wildlife Division

Minutes of the 23rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of National Board
for Wildlife held on 14th October 2011 in Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO
Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.

http://moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/23rd_MINUTES_OF_MEETING.pdf

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(1). The Secretary Forests, Government of Uttar Pradesh requested the Standing Committee for consideration of the proposal for development of 8lane access controlled expressway on the right bank of Upper Ganga canal near Purkazi included in the ATR Agenda of the meeting.

Member Secretary informed that the matter had been referred to the FAC, who in turn had recommended for a site inspection by the Regional CCF with all concerned stakeholders including wildlife experts as the proposed project was close to Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary. Once the report was received from FAC, the matter would be placed before the Standing Committee of NBWL for consideration.
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I can see all sorts of potential roadblocks - Environmental clearance, Wildlife concerns etc etc etc. I hope it comes through as it will have a beneficial impact on the Uttarakhand economy and tourism.

Information from MOEF website (List of pending proposals under forest clearence)

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File No.: 7-UPA033/2010-LUC
Area: 0.1
District: Ghaziabad
Description: PWERMISSION FOR FELLING OF 9376 TREES IN UPEER GANGA CANAL RIGHT SIDE 8 LANE ENTRY CONTROLLED
Application date: 17/05/2010
Status: Under process

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File No.: 7-UPB079/2011-LUC
Area: 0.1884
District: Ghaziabad
Description: LINK ROAD TO INTERNATIONAL COLLAGE OF ENGINEERING FOR UPER GANGA CANAL AT 97 TO98 MILES
Application date: 14/07/2011
Status: Not listed

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File No.: 7-UPA023/2010-LUC
Area: 184.758
District: Meerut
Description: CONSTRUCTION OF MEERUT UPPER GANGA CANAL LEFT BANK 8 LANE PERVESH X-PRESS WAY & 10899 TREES FAILIN
Application date: 06/04/2010
Status: Not listed

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File No.: 7-UPA022/2010-LUC
Area: 244.327
District: Muzaffar Nagar
Description: CONSTRUCTION OF UPPER GANGA CANAL LEFT BANK 8 LANE PERVESH X-PRESS WAY & 13992 TREES FAILING.
Application date: 07/04/2010
Status: Not listed

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File No.: 7-UPC035/2010-LUC
Area: 0.0213
District: G.B Nagar
Description: 8 LANE RESTRICTED ENTRY EXPRESS WAY RIGHT SIDE OF UPPER GANGA CANAL
Application date; 17/05/2010
Status: Under process

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Project No: 10-23/2010-IA.III

Project Name: EC for 8 lane access controlled expressway on right bank of upper ganga canal from sananta bridge to UP-Uttrakhand border

Proponent: Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority
Category: Infrastructure and Miscellaneous Projects & CRZ

Village: xx

District: purkazi

State: Uttar Pradesh

Date of Receipt of application for obtaining Terms of Reference
Apr 08, 2010

Date of Consideration for TOR: Jul 21, 2010

Date of Award of TOR : Aug 12, 2010

I dont see serious problem from environment ministry. If anyone has wildlife concerns UP govt may have to change the alignment little bit. Wildlife concerns are only related to Hog deer in the sanctuary.

The only people who have problem with the project is Media

sample article from media
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/maya-sets-aside-green-rejection-to-have-her-e-way/1/126499.html

A report prepared by the ministry's Lucknow regional office also pointed out that the expressway was bound to affect the habitat of endangered species like snakes, blue bulls, monitor lizards, porcupines, foxes, jackals, rabbits and rats.

I never knew we apply to get clearance for rats, rabbits & snakes.

We will see 100s of fake news in media as UP govt constructs the expressway (except probably Times Now who last week lost 100crore defamation case in SC)


I can see all sorts of potential roadblocks - Environmental clearance, Wildlife concerns etc etc etc. I hope it comes through as it will have a beneficial impact on the Uttarakhand economy and tourism.

Rats? Endangered? :lol:

Objection raised: UGCE too close to sanctuary (good map suggest closest distance is 2km)

Argument from UP govt

UGCE on right side of canal (sanctuary on left)
village is in between expressway and sanctuary
2km is too close is subjective

If MoEF does not agrees with UP govt Green line may be new alignment (means govt has to acquire land). MoEF must quantify to remove any ambiguity in terms of distance between sanctuary and UGCE to avoid any future litigation.


http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/3675/hastinapursanctuary.jpg

Good to hear that the Environment clearance has been secured. Do you know when the different phases of the UGCE will be commissioned? Uttarakhand should leverage this and invest in further high quality feeder roads on their side of the border.

The project got mentioned in a recent article (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/woo-investors-aggressively-says-akhilesh/926280/1):


Woo investors aggressively, says Akhilesh

Lucknow: In a bid to mop up huge resources for developing infrastructure in the state, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has given clear instructions to his officers that the investor fraternity needs to be wooed aggressively and a transparent, level playing field needs to be provided to a wider array to business houses for investing in the state, especially for those incomplete projects on which substantial legwork has already been done in the last regime.

Talking to FE, the newly appointed Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner (IIDC), Anil Kumar Gupta said, “Building infrastructure is the need of the hour and the role of the government will be that of a facilitator. We will do all that needs to be done to attract business houses and make them feel safe and comfortable,” he said, adding that this can happen only when there is a win-win situation for both the government and the business houses.

“Infrastructure projects that need to be pursued include roads, airports, hotels and super-speciality medical units,” said Gupta, adding that mega projects like the Kushinagar Airport and Upper Ganga Canal Expressway and power projects, on which substantial legwork has already been done, are extremely essential for the development of the state.

“We need to work on the right revenue models and financial viability of these projects so that they become attractive for the developers to invest in,” he said.

It also featured in a brochure of URS (http://www.ursglobal.com/documents/europe/en/URS_Sustainability_brochure.pdf):

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/6382/65569943.png


This was posted by m_1973 in the Ganga expressway thread:

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/5614/72508320.jpg

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Environment-ministry-objects-to-Mayawatis-Rs-8000cr-Upper-Ganga-Canal-Expressway-project/articleshow/13461570.cms


LUCKNOW: The Upper Ganga Canal Expressway, an ambitious projects of the Mayawati government, proposed during the fag end of the regime, has hit a roadblock. The Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) has sought a clarification from the state government on the project. And work on the project is yet to be started.

As conceptualised by the previous government, it was to be an eight-lane access controlled expressway on the right embankment of the Upper Ganga canal from Sanauta bridge in Bulandshahr district to near Purkazi, in Muzaffarnagar. It had been proposed as an expressway connecting National Capital Region (NCR) with the western Uttar Pradesh.

However, MoEF has given a negative inspection report for the project, mainly because it would have caused diversion of some 760 hectare forest area on the right embankment of the Upper Ganga canal. According to sources, the ministry could have given the permission to transfer about 200 hectare forest area, but the Mayawati government was insistent for the diversion of the entire 760 hectare forest area.

When contacted, Priya Ranjan, senior assistant inspector general of forest, MoEF, New Delhi, said, "we have sought clarification from the state government on the project." Although there is now a new government in the state, no competent authority from the UP Expressway Development Authority was ready to speak on the issue.

MoEF has questioned the purpose of making an expressway in the region. The Upper Ganga Canal, about 150-160 km long, has existed since 1861. It has NH 58 parallel to it, not more than a km away. Besides, a metalled road also exists on its left, parallel to the canal. But, the Mayawati government emphasised the need for the expressway in the region by saying that "roads get crowded during the movement of Kawariyas and an expressway would ease the traffic".

As per the BSP government proposal, the expressway was to form an integrated road network in the region for the commercial traffic which travels between the industrial, commercial and residential hubs of the region. The MoEF, however, put the foot down because the embankment of the canal, where the expressway is proposed is a reserve forest area. Though the land is under the control of the irrigation department, the management of the land rests with the MoEF.

The proposed project is passing through Bulandshahar, Gautam Budh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur districts of UP. The cost of the project is approximately Rs 8,000 crore.

The approximate length of the eight-lane Expressway is 147.8 km. While the length of six-lane Link Expressway will be approximately 68.5 km, the two-lane service road will be provided in the length of approximately 97.30 km.

Sources said the government had proposed land parcels along the expressway giving the construction companies or private bidders an opportunity to erect townships, schools, cinema halls or hospitals, making it a profitable venture. The BSP government, however, was very keen on getting the clearance for the expressway.

Finally I am able to locate something on the MoEF website and I am sorry to say working is not the result of democracy but product of pure incompetency and inefficiency

After almost one year of last meeting status is almost same. In the same period India added another 2crore people in its population

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http://moef.nic.in/assets/mom-26-NBWL.pdf

Ministry of Environment and Forests Wildlife Division****
Minutes of the 26th Meeting of the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife held on 31st October 2012 in Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.

Item 2[4.2(2)]: Proposal for development of 8 lane access controlled expressway on right bank of Upper Ganga Canal (UGC) from Sanauta Bridge (Bulandshahar) to near Purkazi (Dist. Muzaffarnagar) near Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border.

The Member Secretary informed the Committee that during the 23rd Meeting it was decided that the report of the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) be obtained on the proposal, and thereafter the matter would be considered by the Standing Committee of NBWL. He also informed that the report of the FAC was awaited. The IGF(FC) informed the committee that the matter was referred to the Regional CCF, Lucknow who had carried out a site inspection and had also submitted his report to the Ministry. The report of the Regional CCF, Lucknow was also placed for consideration by the FAC. He added that the FAC had requested for nomination of one expert for suggesting
mitigatory measures for conservation of swamp deer.

Dr Asad Rahmani suggested the name of Dr Afifullah Khan of Aligarh Muslim
University, for expert advice to the FAC for suggesting mitigatory measures. IGF(FC) agreed to propose this in the FAC.

The Committee decided to defer this agenda till the report of FAC was received.

I hope with the change in the guidlines work on the UGCE should start soon. Akhilesh must take initiative to start the bidding process from the expressway so that by the end of year work can start on ground.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/To-clear-road-projects-MoEF-will-change-guidelines/Article1-1025988.aspx

The Supreme Court’s forest bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam permitted the environment ministry to amend the guidelines and issue notification to implement it.

Counsel for the ministry Haris Beeran said: “At present two clearances are required – one environment and the second forest – for projects meant to come up on both non-forest and forest areas. Environment clearance is given at the first stage. With the amendment, projects on non-forest areas can start immediately after this approval and need not wait for forest clearance. However, details of all such stretches along with alternate alignments identified to bypass the forest land should be explicitly provided in the proposal seeking forest approval.”