PANAJI
The Bombay High Court at Goa on Wednesday issued notice to the South Western Railway and the Directorate of Survey and Land Records (DSLR) in a writ petition challenging land acquisition proceedings taking place in respect of lands located within the precincts of the Mollem Wildlife Sanctuary.
The division bench, comprising Justice MS Karnik and Justice Nivedita P Mehta, was hearing a writ petition filed by an NGO. The petition has been filed in response to significant encroachment into lands within the Bhagwan Mahavir (Mollem) Wildlife Sanctuary in Kalay village, ostensibly for the purpose of doubling the Hospet-Hubli-Tinaighat-Vasco railway line and connected works.
The Court adjourned the matter to March 4 for further orders in view of the plea for a restraint against the felling of any trees within the sanctuary limits.
The petition challenges the powers of the SWRL and the DSLR to either acquire lands within the wildlife sanctuary or pass any orders relating to the status of lands within the wildlife sanctuary. Such orders are de hors the Wildlife Act, 1972.
The petitioner has pointed out the blatant illegal land acquisition proceedings under the Railways Act.
It has also highlighted the changes in the land revenue records carried out in the year 2024 for the creation of a new survey number, Sy No 165/1, in Kalay village in favour of the South Western Railways, which includes the entire length of the existing railway track through the village as well as large tracts of land on either side.
“A significant portion of the land declared part of the SWR in this fashion falls within the wildlife sanctuary. Recently, a large number of trees falling within the sanctuary area of this new survey number appear to have been marked for felling,” the petitioner said.
The petitioner pointed out that despite the Supreme Court revoking all permissions for railway track doubling work within the sanctuary in 2022, land acquisition proceedings and alterations to land revenue records have nevertheless been initiated in favour of the SWRL, within the protected area, in blatant violation of the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 (WLPA).
