PANAJI
The Union Railway Ministry has announced commissioning of 312 kms Hospet-Londa-Tinaighat-Vasco Da Gama, south west railway line doubling project, which according to them will speed up transportation of iron ore, coal and steel apart from boosting tourism in Goa and Hampi.
The Ministry, on its social media handle, announced commissioning of total 312 km long railway line of the total 363 kms. According to sources, the work is completed in Karnataka region, while Goa is pending due to forest clearance, as the line passes through the protected areas of Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park.
Approved in the 2010-2011 Railway budget, the Hospet-Londa-Tinaighat-Vasco Da Gama doubling project that runs to a length of 363 km between Karnataka and Goa, is being implemented by the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).
The Ministry further said that the project will speed up coal, iron ore and steel transportation in the regions apart from boosting tourism to Goa and Hampi.
Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra stand to benefit when the second railway line is in place. It would also help in running additional trains to New Delhi.
The Supreme Court had in May, 2022 set aside the Nation Board of Wildlife’s (NBWL) clearance for the double-tracking of the railway line from Castlerock, Karnataka, to Kulem, Goa and directed the RVNL to conduct fresh assessment of environmental impact and submit proposal to NBWL for consideration as per law.
The Apex court directions were based on the central empowered committee’s (CEC) report that termed the project “inefficient”, “unjustified” and “potentially destructive”.
Goa had obtained Stage II approval to the project in April 2022 for diversion of 138.39 ha of forest land for the project. However, in the view of the Apex Court order, entire approvals were kept in abeyance.
Thereafter, the abeyance order in respect of proposal related to diversion 1.908 ha for the Kulem-Sanvordem stretch which falls in private forest was revoked as the same was not part of the SC order.
The State earlier, this year, approached the Regional Empowered Committee (REC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) seeking revocation of abeyance order on diversion of 15.6 ha of forest for the Kulem-Kalem section of railway track doubling project. However, the same was rejected directing RVNL to undertake detail analysis of the impact of proposed project on the biodiversity and ecology of the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park.
