New Delhi, June 1 (TIWN): The Centre on Friday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Madras High Court order quashing the land acquisition process for the Rs 10,000-crore Salem-Chennai eight-lane green corridor project. A vacation bench comprising Justices M R Shah and A S Bopanna fixed the appeal of the central government against the April 8 order of the high court for hearing on June 3.

The 277.3-km eight-lane greenfield project connecting Salem and Chennai under the Centre s Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme aims to cut travel time between the two cities by half to about two hours and 15 minutes. The project runs through reserve forest and water bodies.

Earlier, the Madras High Court had said that environmental clearance was mandatory since the project would have an adverse impact on the environment, including water bodies.

The Madras High Court order had come on a batch of petitions filed by 35 land owners and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, challenging the land acquisition proceedings. The High Court had said that grant of prior environmental clearance would undoubtedly require a thorough study of the area and before that, a public hearing was needed.