PANAJI
Nearly a year after its request was rejected, the Goa government has made a fresh pitch to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) seeking revocation of the abeyance order on diversion of 15.6 hectares of forest land for the Kulem–Kalem section of the railway track doubling project.
In a revised proposal submitted to the Ministry’s Regional Empowered Committee (REC), the State has relied on a study conducted by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) assessing the project’s impact on biodiversity and ecology within protected areas of the wildlife sanctuary.
The State has reiterated that the Supreme Court of India order dated May 9, 2022 applies specifically to the Castle Rock–Kulem stretch and not to the Kulem–Kalem section.
The proposal pertains to diversion of forest land under the North Goa Forest Division in favour of South Western Railway and RVNL, as part of the controversial track doubling project between Tinaighat in Karnataka and Vasco da Gama in Goa. The project’s wildlife clearances were revoked by the Supreme Court in 2022 following recommendations of the court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
The REC had earlier declined a similar request in March 2025, citing the project stretch’s location within the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and its Eco-Sensitive Zone. It had then directed RVNL to carry out a detailed impact assessment study.
In its latest submission, the State noted that Stage-II forest clearance had been granted in April 2022 for three proposals involving diversion of a total 138.39 hectares of forest land. These approvals were subsequently kept in abeyance following the apex court’s May 2022 order.
The government also pointed out that the abeyance was later lifted for diversion of 1.908 hectares in the Kulem–Sanvordem stretch, as it involved private forest land and did not fall within the scope of the court’s directive.
However, the REC had remained unconvinced regarding the Kulem–Kalem segment, underlining that it lies within a protected area. It had also noted that the Goa Forest Department itself has observed little ecological distinction between the Castle Rock–Kulem and Kulem–Kalem stretches, reinforcing concerns over biodiversity impact.
