Karnataka: Wildlife board defers nod for Hubballi-Ankola railway line, seeks new plan

The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has decided to defer approval for the Hubballi-Ankola railway project till Railways submits a fresh proposal addressing gaps/discrepancies and minimising ecological loss.

The decision to put the project in cold storage for now was taken during the 73rd meeting of the standing committee recently.

Environmentalists welcomed the decision and demanded scrapping of the project as the project could result in environmental havoc on the lines currently witnessed in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

Sources in Railways said going back to the drawing board would inadvertently delay the project, given that alternative routes proposed by the South Western Railway, the project implementing agency, were not economically feasible. It could result in more damage to ecology and they would not get the required elevation and gradation that they would have got on the ‘rejected route’.

“This is the narrowest portion of Western Ghats to connect the coastal area with the hinterland of the state as the approximate 40-km Ghat stretch has better gradation required for movement of trains. An alternative line or plans for an elevated corridor or drilling of tunnels could increase cost of the project on a route which mainly benefits cargo movement,” said a senior railway official.

Boost to conservation

The decision comes as a huge boost to conservation efforts of the fragile ecology of the Western Ghats between Yellapur and Ankola in Uttara Kannada district as the project would have resulted in diversion of nearly 595.64 hectares of forest land. The proposed broad gauge railway line would have passed through tiger and elephant corridors, connecting Kali tiger reserve with Sharavathi sanctuary.

In the meeting, chaired by Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, it was agreed by railway officials to submit a modified proposal with alternative alignment, along with cumulative biodiversity impact assessment.

Middle ground 

“An integrated infrastructure development plan should be developed to harmonise transportation needs with conservation of forest and wildlife,” said the committee.

Rajeev Goankar of Rail Seva Samithi, who is fighting a case in favour of the project in the high court, said they have not given up hope as railway officials have assured to  find an alternative route.

All eyes will be on the high court, which is expected to hear the case on August 24. It was based on the high court orders, on a PIL by Belagavi-based environmentalist Giridhar Kulkarni, that NBWL had formed a seven-member committee to look at the feasibility of the project. The committee’s recommendation formed the basis for NBWL to keep project in abeyance.

Plan to be revised

SWR chief public relations officer Aneesh Hegde said they were working to revise the Hubballi-Ankola project proposal as per recommendations of the NBWL committee. “As part of this, the state government is working on a comprehensive integrated infrastructure development plan with inputs from SWR,” he said.