Wadsa-G’chiroli rly line clears final hitch

Nagpur: The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), the topmost decision-making body on projects involving forest land diversion in wildlife corridors and protected areas, has cleared the construction of a new railway line between Wadsa-Gadchiroli (52.36km), and also laying of third line between Salekasa-Darekasa stations near Gondia on Rajnandgaon-Kalamna route.
The decision was taken in its 72nd meeting on April 25. Both the projects, to be executed by South East Central Railway (SECR) in Eastern Vidarbha, were stalled over wildlife mitigation measures.

The Wadsa-Gadchiroli railway line involves forest land diversion of 72 hectares. The third line project needs over 34 hectares in the tiger corridor connecting Kanha, Navegaon-Nagzira, Indravati, and Tadoba-Andhari tiger reserves.
Both proposals have already been cleared by the state board for wildlife last year.
The forest area for the new Gadchiroli line has stations like Kondhala, Armori, Churmura, Porla, and Gadchiroli, where there are resident tigers. Since 2019, at least 40 people have died in man-animal conflict in Gadchiroli. The line is being laid basically to transport minerals.
Though the project was sanctioned in 2011-12, the estimates for physical work started in 2015. Reluctance by the SECR to construct wildlife mitigation steps as suggested by a panel also led to the delay.
The Wadsa-Gadchiroli railway line was recommended as SECR agreed to mitigation measures prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun. The WII modified some railway structures while some new ones were suggested. In patch-I, 14 mitigation structures consisting of three major bridges, one underpass, and 10 minor structures ranging between 20 to 100 metres long and 4-6 metres high are proposed.
In patch-II, 25 mitigation structures are proposed, including one overpass and culvert each and 23 structures ranging between 20-100 metres and 2 to 5.5 metres high.
WII has also proposed elevating the formation level of the railway line by a minimum of one metre to increase the height of proposed mitigation structures. The SECR will have to deposit 2% of the cost of project falling in the tiger corridor for wildlife management with the Tiger Conservation Foundation (TCF), Tadoba.
Considering the larger socio-economic benefits, the proposal for a new broad gauge track was recommended, subject to the implementation of the WII’s mitigation plan in letter and spirit.
The mitigation plan suggested by the WII on the third line between Salekasa-Darekasa includes overpasses, underpasses, girder bridges, RCC boxes, and PSC slabs, and fencing at appropriate sections along all three (old and new) lines. It will have three composite girders, one overpass, and 11 box culverts.
The plan also includes fencing along the tracks in the corridor area. For this also, 2% of the cost of project falling in the tiger corridor will have to be deposited with the TCF of Navegaon-Nagzira for wildlife management activities. The SECR has been told to cut minimum trees within the tiger corridor landscape.