Widening project for corridor linking Jawadhu Hills secures clearances

CHENNAI: The long-awaited widening of the Paramanandal-Athipattu road, a crucial transport corridor linking the Jawadhu Hills with the plains, has gained momentum after securing all mandatory forest and environmental clearances, with construction now progressing on the Rs 120 crore project.

"The 38.5-km stretch, extending from Paramanandal to Athipattu and forming part of the Paramanandal-Jamunamarathur route, serves as the primary access road for 217 tribal villages in the Jawadhu Hills. It is the region's lifeline for education, healthcare, employment, agricultural trade and other essential services, while also providing connectivity for tourists visiting the hill station.

Recognising its significance, the Tamil Nadu government announced the preparation of a Detailed Project Report for widening the road during the 2022-23 Budget," a release issued by the Highways department read.

The project subsequently received administrative sanction for Rs 120 crore. However, as more than 23 km of the alignment passes through reserved forest land, execution depended on obtaining statutory approvals from multiple agencies.

The proposal for diversion of forest land was revised and resubmitted in May 2025 before being examined by the Project Screening Committee, the State Forest Department and the Regional Office of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Stage-I forest clearance was accorded on February 11, 2026, while the final stage-II approval was granted on June 18 after the proposal received clearance from the Central Empowered Committee constituted under the directions of the Supreme Court.

The contract has been awarded to CDR Infracon Limited. Official progress reports show that 3.5 km of granular sub-base work has been completed, besides the construction of 10 pipe culverts and 23 box culverts. Bridge works, drainage, retaining walls and other civil works are under way.

While the contract envisaged 25 per cent completion by June 21, around 20 per cent of the work has been completed so far.

Officials said the remaining works are being accelerated to ensure that the project is completed within the stipulated contractual period.