Belagavi Ring Road Stalled Over Forest Clearance Delay
Belagavi, July 28, 2025 — The much-anticipated Belagavi Ring Road project, which promises to ease the city’s traffic congestion, is facing major delays. The project has hit a roadblock due to pending forest clearance from the state government.
For more details : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubballi/forest-clearance-delay-stalls-belagavi-ring-road-project/articleshow/122925846.cms
₹1,622 Crore Project Stuck in Bureaucracy
The Centre approved the project in three phases, allocating ₹1,622 crore for a 34.5 km stretch in the first phase. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, laid the foundation stone in February 2024. He called it a vital upgrade for Belagavi’s infrastructure.
However, the road passes through 27.3 hectares of reserve forest in five villages: Honaga, Kakati, Sonatti, Kanabargi, and Kalakhamb. This requires official forest clearance before construction can proceed.
Inspection Report Under Scrutiny
Belagavi’s Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Maria Christu Raja D, submitted his inspection report in August 2024. Based on this, the state forest department recommended diverting the forest land to the Centre in January 2025.
However, Bengaluru-based environmental activist Ramprasad flagged potential issues with the report. Using satellite imagery, he alleged that encroachments were not documented in the official report. These discrepancies raised serious concerns.
Centre Awaits Revised Report
In response, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change asked the state to submit a factual report by June 10, 2025. That deadline passed without any response from state officials. This failure is now the main reason for the delay in getting the final green clearance.
DCF Maria Christu Raja D declined to comment on the situation.
Local Leaders React
Belagavi South MLA Abhay Patil expressed strong frustration with the delay.
“We worked hard to get this major project sanctioned by the Centre, but the inefficiency of local forest officials is stalling it. If the DCF fails to submit the required factual report within 15 days, I will protest in front of his office,” Patil said.
Public Concern Grows
With city traffic growing worse, citizens are becoming increasingly concerned. Many now urge the state government to act quickly and resolve the clearance issue before the project suffers further delays.
Read also : Belagavi Under Fire from NGT Over Untimely Pollution Report Submission
