The new route will reduce travel distance by around 40km
The clearance marks a major milestone for the proposed 13km ghat road, which residents, traders and public representatives have pursued since 1985. The MLA said the new route would reduce travel distance by around 40km, bringing Kolhapur within 60-75km from the region and cutting travel time to about one-and-a-half hours. Rane recalled that work on nearly 2km of the route was undertaken in 2009 when former MP Narayan Rane served as Sindhudurg’s guardian minister. “After waiting nearly 40 years, the project has finally been cleared.
The project, however, remained stalled for years due to forest clearances and other approvals required from central authorities. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolhapur | Silver Rate in Kolhapur | Bank Holidays in Kolhapur | Public Holidays in Kolhapur Stay updated with the latest Kolhapur news.
Once completed, this route will provide a major boost to regional development and ensure year-round connectivity through the ghat,” Rane said. The MLA said the road would significantly improve access between Sindhudurg and Kolhapur districts. “Kudal, Malvan and several villages in Vengurla and Kankavali talukas will be brought closer to Kolhapur, while remote settlements in the Sahyadri ranges will gain better access to development opportunities,” he said. “I sincerely thank MP Narayan Rane, guardian minister Nitesh Rane and health minister Prakash Abitkar,” he said. Dhananjay Jadhav, an environmental researcher, said the proposed road passes through dense forest and an ecologically sensitive tiger transit corridor. The habitat and nesting sites of several small species will be affected, and the alignment falls within a tiger movement corridor,” Jadhav said. Santosh Karekar, a villager from Shivdav, said delays were caused after the originally proposed 10km route was revised to a 13km alignment. We hope construction begins at the earliest,” he said.
“The latest approval from Centre now paves the way for construction. The project, however, continues to face criticism from environmentalists. “This road will require deforestation in a dense forest area. Despite the concerns, residents of the region welcomed the approval. This road will put our remote villages on the tourism map and improve connectivity. Download the TOI App.
Kolhapur: The long-pending Shivdav-Sonawade ghat road project, connecting Bhudargad taluka in Kolhapur district with Kudal and Vengurla talukas in Sindhudurg, has received final approval from the central environment committee, MLA Nilesh Rane said on Wednesday.