The proposed doubling of the Tinaighat-Kulem railway line has sparked serious environmental concerns, as a recent study reveals critical flaws in the project's environmental impact assessment (EIA). Conducted by a multidisciplinary team of scientists, the review highlights that the EIA fails to adequately address the ecological ramifications of the project, which threatens to disrupt one of India's most sensitive forest landscapes. The project, part of a broader initiative to enhance connectivity between Karnataka's mining areas and the port of Vasco in Goa, is expected to result in the felling of approximately 19,182 trees across vital wildlife habitats.
Experts argue that the EIA overlooks essential biodiversity components, including freshwater fish and various invertebrates, while neglecting to assess the cumulative ecological impacts of habitat fragmentation. This raises alarms about the potential for increased wildlife mortality and the degradation of critical wildlife corridors, particularly for species such as tigers and elephants that inhabit the region. The study underscores that without rigorous, independent scrutiny, the project's approval could lead to irreversible ecological damage.
