SUNDAY, JULY 07, 2024
Team Herald
PANJIM: The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, will undertake a fresh Cumulative Environment Impact Assessment (CEIA) on wildlife habitats.
The WII will also assess the ecological values due to the proposed double tracking of the South Western Railway line between Tinaighat in Karnataka to Kulem in Goa.
The move comes almost four months after the Supreme Court, on May 9, cancelled the green clearance granted to the project by the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) and accepted the recommendations made by its appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEE).
The WII has issued an advertisement inviting applications to engage the different project personnel for undertaking CEIA. The study will be undertaken in the forest areas of Goa and Karnataka in the northern Western Ghats for a period of one year.
The Save Mollem Campaign, which had spearheaded the agitation against the three linear projects, said that the Goa government had appointed WII to prescribe mitigation measures for the railway project and the scientists critiqued their study and said that the mitigation recommendations were not based on rigorous scientific data and lacked information in several aspects.
The Save Mollem Campaign has urged experts and scientists not to be part of the study, as the project calls for the destruction of Mollem.
While rejecting the green clearance, the Supreme Court has said that it would not preclude Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd to carry out a detailed analysis of the impact of the proposed project on the bio-diversity and ecology of the protected areas under the wildlife sanctuary and then submit a fresh proposal to the standing committee of NBWL which would consider the matter in accordance with the law.
In its report of April 23, 2021, the CEC said, “That it does not find any justification for the railway track as it will destroy the fragile ecosystem of the Western Ghats which is an internationally recognised Biodiversity hotspot and also one of the most important wildlife corridors of the country.”
The CEC had also stated that the doubling of line “Will only is marginally enhancing the capacity of the most inefficient section of the railway network passing through the ecologically sensitive and biodiversity-rich tiger reserve, two wildlife sanctuaries and a national park.”
WHAT EXACTLY THE SUPREME COURT HAD SAID
This would not preclude Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd to carry out a detailed analysis on the impact of the proposed project on the bio-diversity and
ecology of the protected areas under the wildlife sanctuary and then submit a fresh proposal to the standing committee of National Board for Wildlife, which would consider the matter in accordance with law
Railways has no respect for environment: Goencho Ekvott
MARGAO: Founder Member of Goencho Ekvott Orville Dourado Rodrigues slammed the Railways for having absolutely no respect for the environment, despite the Supreme Court’s adverse verdict scrapping the proposed double tracking from Tinaighat to Kulem.
“It appears that the Railways have absolutely no respect for the environment, for despite the adverse verdict passed by the highest legal body in the land, the Supreme Court which not only scrapped the proposed double tracking from Tinaighat to Kulem in the Western Ghats, but also stated that the entire proposed route from Kulem to Vasco to be scrapped as not economically viable and that existing infrastructure from Krishnapatnam Port to be used for transportation of coal to industries based in North Karnataka,” Rodrigues said.
“The advertisement by the Wildlife Institute of India inviting applications from scientists to conduct “Cumulative Environment Impact Assessment on wildlife habitat and ecological values due to proposed doubling of railway track from Tinaighat to Kulem in the Northern Western Ghats” makes it clear that the forces behind the most environmentally destructive project will leave no stone unturned to achieve their objectives. But they must understand that in a democracy, the collective will of the people will finally prevail,” Rodrigues added.
Mollem not for sale;
stand by the people of Goa
Anti-double tracking group calls upon citizens to oppose fresh environment impact study
MARGAO: Stating that Mollem is not for sale, the Save Mollem Citizens Group on Thursday called upon citizens across the country especially scientists to stand by the people of Goa in objecting the fresh Cumulative Environment Impact Assessment (CEIA) by Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun.
The group said, “We need to raise our voices now. Spread the word. Goans and citizens from across India urge scientists to say ‘no’. By saying no’, you are standing by the people of Goa. Mollem is not for sale. Stand by the people of Goa.”
It said, “Firstly, the Supreme Court (SC) appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) had clearly said that double tracking should not happen and there is no ecological or economic justification for this destruction.”
The group said against that backdrop the latest news should make one angry – that the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) will be recruiting scientists to conduct a new Environment Impact Assessment Survey (EIA) of the railway projects on Mollem’s biodiversity. Why? To start off, there was already an original flawed EIA made for this same project. Scientists came together and thoroughly studied the Railway EIA and found severe loopholes with respect to incorrect reporting and misidentification of species in Mollem.
It said, “Secondly, the WII was previously appointed by the government to suggest mitigation measures for the same project. Scientists have also critiqued these mitigation measures and found these to be irrational, ignoring any science on animal movement. Finally, if that’s not all, the SC’s CEC slated the permission granted by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) for the railway double-tracking project through Mollem.”
The group said, “The SC acknowledged this by scrapping the railway clearance. Let’s not forget that there are thousands of villagers who are still actively fighting against the double tracking projects that will bring destruction to their homes and villages. Blocking the Railway's permissions through the forest is important not just for ecology but also for the livelihoods of our heritage villages.”
