MARGAO
The Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, executing the double-tracking work, has appealed to the NGOs, the local people as well as the village panchayats not to obstruct railway construction activity.
Claiming that the double tracks work is being done to strengthen the railway network to cater to travel requirements of Goa and tourists, RVNL has said the work is being done by maintaining proper correspondence with the Government of Goa.
On claims of massive destruction to the environment in Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mollem National Park, RVNL official said that opposition to the doubling project is not genuine for the reason that existing track has been in existence for more than a century. Railways are occupying hardly 0.36% of the area of the wildlife sanctuary which is negligible.
Railways has already conducted the Environment Impact Assessment survey through IISC, Bangalore, one of the most prestigious institutes of India and it has been scrutinized by Forest Department and the Ministry of Environment, he said.
“With a view to permit safe crossing of animal in wildlife area, five new underpasses and three new overpasses are planned for construction along with doubling which are not available on the existing single line track”, the officials said.
On damage that would be caused to heritage buildings, RVNL said “as far as destruction of century-old heritage houses are concerned, joint inspection has already been carried out along with State authorities for identification of buildings and structures coming in the alignment. This is to ensure not even a single heritage house is coming in the proposed alignment of double-tracking which is likely to be dismantled.
The RVNL said the existing single-line track between Castlerock to Vasco-da-gama in the state of Goa was laid more than a century ago.
“The issues faced in single line networks in majority of the stations in the state of Goa (Dabolim, Sancoale, Cansaulim, Majorda, Chandor, Sanvordem, Kalem, Kulem) were not provided with suitable passenger amenities such as adequate length of platforms, platform shelters, water booths, foot-over bridges, platform toilets, ramp for disabled passengers, etc,” the officials said.
They added: “Owing to single line section having severe restrictions of running of trains in ghat section between Castlerock to Kulem (Western Ghats). At present, only three pairs of express and passenger trains are running every day on the Castlerock-Kulem-Vasco section. Railways is not able to introduce 24 coach length mail/express trains in this section as existing platform lengths are suitable for handling trains with 18-20 coaches only. There is huge demand for introducing new passenger trains connecting Goa from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana”.
