Two new highway projects in Maharashtra, poised to improve connectivity across key economic belts, have sparked intense environmental and ecological concerns as they prepare to sacrifice more than 170 hectares of forest land and thousands of mature trees.
The Pune-Nashik and Chandrapur-Nagpur corridors, both spearheaded by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), together threaten the green cover of ecologically sensitive zones, including areas adjacent to wildlife sanctuaries and protected tiger corridors. The Chandrapur-Nagpur stretch alone is expected to fell over 32,000 trees while encroaching into critical forest patches that facilitate the movement of big cats and other endangered species. The proposed 203-kilometre Chandrapur-Nagpur highway has triggered particular alarm among conservationists and ecologists due to its proximity to the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve and the Kanhargaon Wildlife Sanctuary. The project, which will cost the state an estimated ₹22,994 crore, will require diversion of 109 hectares of forest land. Furthermore, it will cut across 2,135 hectares, including agricultural and private holdings. Approximately 39 kilometres of the alignment lie within a deemed eco-sensitive zone, raising red flags from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC). In response, WII has recommended five wildlife underpasses and four kilometres of elevated viaducts to mitigate habitat fragmentation. Despite these safeguards, experts argue the damage to migratory routes and biodiversity may be irreversible.
While the Pune-Nashik corridor has drawn relatively less attention, its environmental cost remains significant. Stretching over 189 kilometres and costing nearly ₹17,539 crore, the highway will require the diversion of 62 hectares of forest land. This project passes through multiple rural talukas and demands acquisition of over 1,500 hectares, largely from private landowners. Although the MSRDC has not specified the number of trees to be felled for this road, the scale of land clearance involved implies substantial ecological loss. Authorities have claimed that compensatory afforestation will be undertaken, promising the creation of green belts spanning over 500 hectares for both projects combined. However, such assurances often falter in execution, with plantations frequently failing to replicate the biodiversity and carbon sink potential of native forests.
Urbanisation in Chandrapur and adjoining regions has already exerted immense pressure on the natural ecosystem, with roads, mining, and other industrial activities steadily shrinking wildlife habitats. The renewed push for high-speed corridors is being framed as a development imperative by state officials, with MSRDC Managing Director declaring that more such roads are essential to Maharashtra’s growth trajectory. Yet, this narrative risks bypassing the equally critical need for sustainable and balanced development. Disruptions in ecological corridors could heighten human-wildlife conflict, erode biodiversity, and undermine India’s climate commitments under global pacts like the Paris Agreement.
As the proposals await final environmental clearance, the projects spotlight the growing conflict between infrastructure expansion and ecological preservation. While economic growth and connectivity are pressing needs, stakeholders are increasingly calling for infrastructure that respects the limits of nature. Balancing transport efficiency with environmental integrity is no longer a choice but a necessity in a climate-vulnerable country like India.
New highways in Maharashtra raise serious concerns over environment and green cover
