PANAJI
Greens and others opposing the projects threatening protected forests in Mollem and the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife sanctuary got a short in the arm with the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the Supreme Court terming the South Western Railways' track-doubling proposal "unjustified".
The CEC also recommended modifications to the other two linear projects affecting Mollem and the sanctuary -- the National Highway widening and Tamnar power transmission project.
The CEC submitted its report to the Supreme Court in which it has sought re-alignment of the Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Ltd.
Other measures enumerated by the CEC in its report are to widen the corridors for animals along the NH-4 four-laning alignment.
The most significant shot in the arm for greens and others who had launched a prolonged agitation against the projects under the aegis of #SaveMollem is the CEC terming as "unjustified" the SWR's track doubling project Karnataka's Castle Rock and Tinaighat in Goa.
"The CEC does not find any justification for undertaking a project of this nature which will destroy the fragile eco-system of the Western Ghats which is an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot and also one of the most important wildlife corridors of the country," the report said.
The CEC cited the operationalisation of the Konkan Railway line, the four-laning of NH-4 and the enhancing of air connectivity with a new airport, to back its finding that doubling of tracks between Castle Rock and Tinaighat, which is the most inefficient railway line, cannot be justified either operationally, economically or ecologically.
On the Tamnar project, the CEC has sought realignment of the 400 KV power line parallel to the existing power transmission corridor between Karnataka and Goa to save forest cover.
"The existing 220 Kv line with 400 Kv line is an existing line and is passing through the already cleared forest cover in the national park and wildlife sanctuaries to avoid fresh clearing of forest canopy for drawing the proposed 400 Kv line," the report said.
On the four-laning of NH-4, the CEC said expansion of animal corridors to facilitate movement of wild animals is recommended. It also suggests elevated road tracks where animal crossings are frequent.
The three projects envisaged felling thousands of trees in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats in Goa and earned widespread opposition as they were suspected to facilitate a rail-road coal transportation corridor between MPT and steel plants in North Karnataka.
