PANAJI
The South Western Railways (SWR) has declined to shift its proposed iron ore handling from the Kalem railway yard away from the boundary of the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park.
In a communication to the State Forest Department, Divisional Commercial Manager Santosh Hegde said that there is no proposal to shift the iron ore handling activity from Kalem beyond 2 kms of the wildlife sanctuary boundary as “there is no feasibility”.
The Goa State Board of Wildlife (SBWL) during its meeting in March had deferred the decision on granting wildlife clearance to the proposal, while directing SWR to examine whether it is feasible for the railways to shift the handling of iron ore to the railway yard located around 2kms from the Kalem village away from the boundary of the sanctuary.
The proposal has been recommended by the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW), while directing the project proponent to ensure that no damage is done to forest and wildlife habitat during the execution of the work.
The SWR had proposed to handle -- loading, unloading and transportation of ore at Kalem railway station yard located in the protected areas.
As per the proposal, total area of land involved in the wildlife area is 0.7616 ha including yard and approach road in the village in Sanguem taluka, forming part of the protected areas.
The proposal was submitted in accordance with the directions of the High Court dated February 5, 2024, wherein the Court said to “consider the dispose of the application in accordance with the law and on their own merits after granting an opportunity of hearing the applicant and petitioner therein. Such application should be disposed of withing four weeks’.
Meanwhile, activists and locals have raised strong objection to the CWW approval to the project, while appealing to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant not to grant green clearance. The proposal is set to come up before the next SBWL meeting.
Goa Foundation director Claude Alvares said that this is a large scale assault on Goa’s wildlife sanctuary. Alvares has written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention into the destruction of the sanctuary.
Addressing a press conference, Kalem Sarpanch Narendra said that the panchayat has already passed a resolution not to allow the project and has also submitted its objection to the government. He demanded that the facility or proposal be shifted two kms away from the boundary line.
