MoEF panel defers decision on Goa’s stalled rail doubling project

The Regional Empowered Committee (REC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on Wednesday deferred a decision on a proposal from the Goa Government and Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, seeking forest clearance to proceed with the Mollem railway doubling project stalled over environmental concerns.

“The proposal was discussed at the meeting today, but we decided to seek more clarification regarding details of the project from the proponent,” an official who was present at the meeting, said on the condition of anonymity.

The Goa government has approached the REC based at Bangalore seeking revocation of an abeyance order on the diversion of 15.6 hectares of forest land along the Kulem-Kalem (Collem- Kalay) section of the railway track falling under the North Goa Forest Division in favour of South Western Railway and Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd.

The present diversion is part of the controversial railway doubling project between Tinaighat in Karnataka and Vasco da Gama in Goa that had its wildlife clearances revoked by the Supreme Court in 2022 based on recommendations by the court appointed Central Empowered Committee.

In a representation to REC Bangalore, sent before the meeting, a group of environmentalists and scientists, have pointed out that despite the Supreme Court in 2022 revoking permissions for the project, and the environmental consequences, attempts to revive it are well underway.

“The double-tracking project is an egregiously inefficient use of resources and a source of immense socio-ecological upheaval for marginal returns. We seriously question the intentions behind the decision to continue the pursuit of this project, when all evidence points to rejecting it in its entirety. We urge that the members of the Regional Empowered Committee follow the Supreme Court’s directive and scrap the project immediately,” the scientists said in their representation.

The report by the Central Empowered Committee, submitted before the Supreme Court, had ruled that it did not find “any justification for undertaking a project of this nature which will destroy the fragile ecosystem of the Western Ghats which is an internationally recognised Biodiversity hotspot and also one of the most important wildlife corridors of the Country.”

While cancelling permissions, the Supreme Court, however, left a window open for the Railways to “submit a fresh proposal to the Standing Committee of NBWL” after carrying out “a detailed analysis on the impact of the proposed project on the biodiversity and ecology of the protected areas under the wildlife sanctuary”, which the court said “shall be considered in accordance with law.”

Since then, a fresh Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), this time conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India titled ‘Mitigation Measures for The Doubling Of Railway Track Between Tinaighat (Karnataka) And Kulem (Goa)’, has been submitted before the MoEF&CC.

The expansion project, which proposed a second track alongside the existing line running between Goa’s Mormugao Port at Tinaighat in Karnataka connecting Goa to northern Karnataka, was earlier approved by the National Board for Wildlife during a meeting held in April 2020. The approval led to large scale protests in Goa by residents, fearing that the expansion will pave the way for additional coal transport between the port and steel plants in Karnataka.

According to the RNVL, which is executing the project, this proposed doubling work is aimed to assuage the traffic on the existing route and increase the number of passenger and freight trains to facilitate efficient transport of coal and iron ore.

The latest report on mitigation measures has suggested mitigation measure such as drainages, fencing, level crossings (for animals) with early warning systems, wildlife overpasses, ledges and culverts, amphibian passages, canopy bridges, etc. but warned that “it is necessary to avoid doubling the proposed railway track if it is not practicable to carry out the indicated mitigating measures.”

“Given that the railway tracks pass through ecologically sensitive and fragile habitats, doubling without the proposed measures owing to the technical feasibility is not recommended. To conclude, the railway track should only be doubled if there is a mechanism and possibility of implementing the suggested measures,” the report said.

According to the railways, the proposed doubling of the track by RVNL will largely improve the mobility and all-weather rail links in the area which will bring economic benefit for the state of Goa, by accelerating development following a boost in trade and commerce.

Given the above constraints and the benefits, the railways’ project proposal said, it is imperative that the proposed doubling will not only improve mobility and all-weather rail links in the region, it will also allow the running of more passenger trains, eventually enhancing better intrastate connectivity and trade and commerce among adjoining states, will increase tourist flow, augment intermediate railway station facilities, and reduce bottlenecks of railway traffic in the ghat section.