Nagpur's Gadchiroli railway line recommended with 39 wildlife mitigation structures

NAGPUR: In a boost to the 52.36km Wadsa-Gadchiroli new railway line, the state’s chief wildlife warden (CWLW) has given a green signal to the project but with wildlife mitigation measures in critical patches connecting Navegaon-Nagzira, Tadoba-Andhari, Indravati, and Kanha tiger reserves.
The project is being implemented on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis between Maharashtra and the Centre.It was announced in 2011-12 and is hanging fire for the last decade.
The project figured on the agenda items of the 18th Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife (MSBWL) meeting on June 6, but due to the busy schedule of the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who is chairman of the board, it did not come up for discussion.
The project has been recommended by the CWLW on the condition that mitigation measures recommended by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, will be implemented. The measures consist of modification of structures planned on the railway line by Indian Railways and some new structures.
In Patch-I, 14 mitigation structures consisting of 3 major bridges, 1 underpass, and 10 minor structures ranging between 20-100 metres wide and 4-6 metres in height are proposed.
In Patch-II, 25 mitigation structures are proposed which include 1 overpass, 1 culvert, and 23 major/minor structures ranging between 20-100 metres in width and 2-5.5 metres in height.
The WII also proposed to elevate the formation level of the railway line by a minimum of one metre so as to increase the height of proposed mitigation measures.
The user agency has been told to implement all the mitigation measures that are proposed by the WII. The SECR will also have to deposit 2% of the project cost with the TATR Tiger Conservation Foundation for wildlife conservation and management activities in the state.
The construction of the new line needs a forest area diversion of 83.431 hectares. This forest area is part of the proposed stations — Kondhala, Armori, Churmura, Porla and Gadchiroli — occupied by resident tigers now.
Though the project was sanctioned in 2011-12, the estimates for physical work started in 2015. There was not a sizeable number of tigers in Gadchiroli then. However, since 2019 till date, 25 villagers have died in the tiger-human conflict.
Though the project is not close to any sanctuaries and ESZ, it falls in the corridors of Kanha, Navegaon-Nagzira, Tadoba-Andhari, and Indravati tiger reserves as per the Eastern Vidarbha Landscape (EVL) report on corridors by Wildlife Institute of India (WII).
“When the project was announced, its estimated cost was Rs 575 crore. Today, it has escalated to Rs 1,100 crore. Even if the MSBWL approves it, we will have to wait for one more year for clearance from the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). We are ready to take mitigation steps. The cost may go up further due to delay,” said senior SECR officials.
They justified the project for the transportation of mineral resources from Gadchiroli which has huge deposits of iron ores and limestone. “The tribal district is largely underdeveloped and the new line will connect it to the vast network of Indian Railways,” they said.
DEVELOPMENT VS TIGERS
* Length of the project: 52.36km
* Project announced in 2011-12 at the cost of Rs 575 cr.
* The cost has been escalated to Rs 1100 crore.
* Centre and State to share cost on a 50:50 basis.
* Over 1200 trees will be felled for the project.
* The new line cuts the corridor between Tadoba, NNTR, Kanha, and Indravati tiger reserves.
* The proposed forest area to be diverted has at least 20 tigers and 25 villages have died in attacks since 2019