Gujarat: SBWL rejects proposal to upgrade highway passing through Gir sanctuary

THE STATE board for Wildlife (SBWL) Wednesday rejected an application of the Road and Buildings (RB) department of the state government seeking diversion of 8.28 hectare land for upgrading state highway 111 (SH-111) which passes through Gir sanctuary, citing that the upgraded road would be “detrimental to wildlife”.

At its 20th meeting convened in Gandhinagar under chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the SBWL took up for discussion the application of the R&B department seeking permission to upgrade 14.40 km stretch of the SH-111 which passes through Gir (west) wildlife division in Junagadh . The existing road is a kutcha road having carriage way of 5.50 metre.