Land acquisition for controversial Goa railway line notified

The sub-divisional magistrate dismissed the remaining 16 objections on grounds that a bulk of them were objecting to the acquisition on the basis of a report of a central empowered committee, or sound and air pollution, on the grounds that this was “not in the ambit of this court” .

Environmental activists in Goa are examining legal and political options after the government rejected objections to land acquisition for the pending stretch of doubling a controversial railway line between the coastal state and Karnataka that will affect the Mollem National Park and the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary, both in the state, and the Bhimgad tiger reserve in Karnataka.

Environmental activists in Goa are examining legal and political options after the government rejected objections to land acquisition for the pending stretch of doubling a controversial railway line between the coastal state and Karnataka. (Representative photo)

On Sunday, in a notification published in local newspapers, the Mormugao sub-divisional magistrate, the land acquisition authority rejected objections filed against the acquisition, saying that out of the 26 objections received, 10 were not considered “since these objections were only opposing the project itself on grounds of pollution due to coal transportation, no need of the project, etc and the objectors did not mention having a valid interest in the land which is being acquired”.

The sub-divisional magistrate dismissed the remaining 16 objections on grounds that a bulk of them were objecting to the acquisition on the basis of a report of a central empowered committee, or sound and air pollution, on the grounds that this was “not in the ambit of this court” .

The railway line is one of three so-called linear projects that sparked protests in 2020 an 2021 after they were controversially approved by the National Board for Wildlife. Environmentalists, and local residents protesting against the projects won a respite when the Supreme Court appointed Central Empowered Committee said that the projects would cause significant environmental damage.

In May last year, the Supreme Court, based on the recommendations of the committee, set aside the National Board of Wildlife clearances issued for the projects. However, work on the non-forest stretches of the project continued.

In its report to the Supreme Court, the committee said it did not find “any justification for undertaking a project of this nature which 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. Moreover, this doubling project will only marginally enhance the capacity of the most inefficient section of the railway network passing through ecologically sensitive and biodiversity rich tiger Reserve, two wildlife sanctuaries and a national park.”

Activists accuse the government of pushing ahead with the project in violation of the spirit of the top court’s order.

“The CEC’s recommendations, which were upheld by the Supreme Court, held that the project was not necessary. The comments were about the entire project and not just the forested stretches. If the project cannot be completed, what’s the point of forcibly acquiring people’s land for the project,”argued Olencio Simoes, an activist.

“When the CEC has said that shipping the coal from the east coast is a viable and preferable option, why are the railways insisting on doubling the track through the west coast?” he asked.

The villages of Velsao, Arossim and Issorcim have been protesting and disrupting work on the project, saying that Rail Vikas Nigam has begun work on the project even before the land acquisition proceedings were completed.

Earlier, the Union ministry of environment forests and climate change granted a green signal to the enhancement of coal handling capacity at the Mormugao port from the current capacity of 5.2 to 13.5 million tonnes per annum, a project that activists said would intensify coal pollution in the state.

“We are planning to intensify our agitation as well as examine the possibility of challenging the award in the courts,” Simoes said.

The expansion project proposes a second track beside the existing line running between Mormugao and Tinaighat in northern Karnataka.