Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Sabari project: Railway Board to take decision

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Railway Board will take a decision on the Sabari railway project in the wake of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for Building Construction, Coastal Regulation Zone, Infrastructure Development and Miscellaneous projects deferring the project in the absence of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

The matter had been referred to the board and the Railways were determined to take up and complete the ambitious project aimed at bringing Sabarimala onto the railway map of the country, a senior Southern Railway official told The Hindu. It had been pointed that the EAC after directing the deferment of the project had suggested that the Union Ministry of Railways or the State should carry out an EIA if they wanted all the environmental issues to be examined properly.

As presented by the representatives of Railways before the EAC, the official said the EIA carried out by the Peechi-based Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) was prepared at the instance of the petitioners who went to the High Court challenging the proposed railway line. The Railways were also of the view that all railway-related projects in areas other than CRZ area were exempted from the purview of environmental clearance.

Initially, the Railways were for laying the 130 km railway line from Angamaly to Azhutha for the Sabari railway project.

The stretch falls under forest area and as many as 11 tunnels had to be created between Erumeli and Azutha. Besides, there is no added advantage in taking the railway line to Azhutha. Railways have now changed the alignment and decided to terminate the railway line at Erumeli. By this, the proposed Sabari railway line would be only of 117 km.

The Chief Engineer (Construction) had issued orders to stop the work recently when earth work on the first six km extending from Angamaly to Moovattupuzha of the proposed railway line had been completed. The decision to suspend the work comes in the wake of the notice to the railways and the officials of the union Ministry of Environment and Forests by the petitioners to “abstain from any activity, including land acquisition, construction of structures”.

A sum of Rs.60 crore had been spent by Railways for land acquisition and earth work till date for the project. In this year's railway budget, a sum of Rs.25 crore was initially allocated for the Sabari railway project. Sources said the amount had been reduced to just Rs.1 crore.

Only seven hectares of the total 420 hectares of land needed for the project had been acquired and handed over to Railways. The official said the State government had promised to acquire and handover another 16 hectares soon. The proposed line goes through Ernakulam, Idukki and Kottayam districts and covers 22 panchayats and four municipalities.

Although the Railways are determined to go ahead, those fighting against the project are hoping that Railways and the State will take a similar decision as in the case of the Kottayam-Erumeli line. Conceived in 1999, the 44-km Kottayam-Erumeli line was abandoned a few years ago following severe resistance from farmers who were to be displaced.

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