<p>Expressing concern over Karnataka State Wildlife Board's decision to clear long pending Hubballi-Ankola railway line, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has urged the Centre to take immediate steps to protect ecologically sensitive Western Ghat, where the railway track passes through. <br /><br />"I hope that Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal will intervene to prevent distruction of precious Western Ghat. I have redflagged the issue decade ago,"Jairam Ramesh, former Environment Minister and Rajya Sabha member feom Karnataka, tweeted. <br /><br />The State Wildlife Board has cleared the project despite the opposition from environmentalists. The green activists have been opposing the project saying that to execute 164.44 km lane around 2 lakh fully grown trees in Uttar Kannada disteict of Western Ghats have to felled.<br /><br />As per the current proposal, around 727 hectares of pristine forests diversion is required for alignment of tracks. </p>
<p>Expressing concern over Karnataka State Wildlife Board's decision to clear long pending Hubballi-Ankola railway line, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has urged the Centre to take immediate steps to protect ecologically sensitive Western Ghat, where the railway track passes through. <br /><br />"I hope that Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal will intervene to prevent distruction of precious Western Ghat. I have redflagged the issue decade ago,"Jairam Ramesh, former Environment Minister and Rajya Sabha member feom Karnataka, tweeted. <br /><br />The State Wildlife Board has cleared the project despite the opposition from environmentalists. The green activists have been opposing the project saying that to execute 164.44 km lane around 2 lakh fully grown trees in Uttar Kannada disteict of Western Ghats have to felled.<br /><br />As per the current proposal, around 727 hectares of pristine forests diversion is required for alignment of tracks. </p>
