Forest department approves Udaipur dam project after securing land near Sariska
The clearance followed the identification of 174.1106 hectares of non-forest land near the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district, fulfilling the department's requirement that the land be adjacent to a tiger reserve or wildlife sanctuary.
The Rs 1,691-crore project, aimed at securing Udaipur's future drinking water supply, is proposed on an equivalent area of forest land in the district. As per forest conservation norms, any diversion of forest land for non-forest use must be offset by providing equal non-forest land for afforestation.
However, such land was not available near the project site, leading to prolonged delays.
A forest official said, "Initially, the Forest Department had objected even after the Udaipur administration identified alternative land within the district. In a revised demand, the department insisted on land located near a protected area. Following this, the Alwar district administration identified land in the Kalad–Pratapgarh forest block adjoining the Sariska Tiger Reserve.
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A total of 340.32 hectares was surveyed, and 174.1106 hectares have been reserved for afforestation.
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The process was expedited after the Udaipur administration corresponded with the Alwar Collector, emphasising that the project was a priority for the ruling govt. "After completing the documentation, the revenue proposal has been sent to the state govt for final approval. Once cleared, the land will be transferred to the Forest Department, which will formally issue the NOC. The Water Resources Department had already issued work orders for construction in October 2023.
With the NOC expected shortly, physical work on the dam and tunnel is set to begin," the official added.
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