Rail track doubling: Goa wants abeyance order on forest land diversion revoked

Panaji: Goa govt has placed a request before the Regional Empowered Committee (REC), Bengaluru, of the Union environment ministry, seeking revocation of abeyance order on diversion of 15.6ha of forest for the Kulem-Madgaon railway track doubling.
The REC is set to deliberate on this request during its 84th meeting to be held soon.
The proposal is for the Kulem-Kalem section involving the diversion of 15.6ha of forest land. The diversion was proposed by the North Goa forest division in favour of the South Western Railway or Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd.
In 2021, chief minister Pramod Sawant had said the National Board of Wildlife had granted approval to this particular project in its 56th meeting held on Dec 17, 2019.
He had assured that as per the environmental impact assessment report prepared by the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, on behalf of South Western Railways, suitable mitigation measures have been proposed to minimise impact on wildlife and ensure safe passage to wild animals.
Sawant had also said that recommendations of the chief wildlife warden, railway authorities have been instructed to explore the option of putting gates on tunnels, which may open through some mechanical or electronically controlled switches before train arrivals or to minimise trapping of wild animals in tunnels.