The Western Ghats, which have lost green cover of at least 58 sq km in the decade to 2023, appear to be in for further deforestation with a plan to double the railway line from Karnataka to Goa. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has, in its ecological impact assessment report, given ‘conditional’ approval for track doubling between Castlerock in Karnataka and Mollem in Goa, laying emphasis on “mitigation measures”.
At the crux is diversion of 15.6 hectares of forest land needed for the 345-km Hosapete-Tinaighat-Vasco line, of which the 32.3-km Castlerock-Kulem stretch passes through the Kali Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, and the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park in Goa.
For the project to go through, Rail Vikas Nigam, the implementing agency, and the Goa government need this clearance, which the Supreme Court had revoked in 2022, terming it “potentially destructive” and ordering a fresh environmental impact assessment.
Wildlife activists, ecologists and a section of Goans are up in arms over the shift in the WII report. The single track itself has resulted in the death of wild animals—between February and April 2023, an assessment team counted 341 animal deaths on the tracks.
Pollution is the other big issue with apprehension that the line would carry coal from Karnataka’s hinterland to the Goan port of Vasco. For the government, the rail link will boost trade and tourism, transport iron ore, coal and steel, and link Goa to Hampi, another tourist hub.
The ecology of the region is already compromised, with widening of the national highway (NH4A) through Anmod Ghat. While National Highway Authority claims 22,000 trees were cut for the project, activists say over 1 lakh were axed and construction will lead to more silting of the Kali and Mahadayi rivers.
The combined effect of a highway, power transmission lines and a railway project in the same area could be overwhelming for the Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot recognised as a Unesco heritage site.
New projects are bound to damage habitats and pose fresh threats to the ecosystem. While the government proclaims that development and environment can go hand-in-hand, and connectivity is vital for a booming economy, it should keep in mind the ongoing devastation in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, where flash floods and landslides have become a norm.