Guj board to HC: Will forward proposal on Gir forest rail line

The state wildlife board hasdecided to forward, to the national board, for considerationthe Railways proposal to upgrade the existing meter gauge linealong with electrification of the track that passes throughthe Gir Wildlife Sanctuary, the forest department told theGujarat High Court on Wednesday.

The state board told the court it deliberated upon theRailways proposal last year and has decided to forward it tothe National Wildlife Board (NWB) for consideration.

It said the proposal forwarded by the Railways to use148.14 hectares for upgrading the meter gauge track to broadgauge along with electrification is ''at nascent stage,'' andthere is no proposal to allot a separate parcel of land to thenational transporter.

The state forest department told a division bench ofChief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice AJ Shastri that in orderto protect the interest of lions and other species within theGir Sanctuary, Railway authorities may be directed to ensureminimum speed limit for trains on the line that passes throughthe eco-sensitive zone.

The forest department made the submission in responseto a PIL filed on the gauge conversion project.

The response came on an application moved by theamicus curiae in a 2018 suo motu petition seeking preservationof Gir's ecosystem, wherein objection was raised over gaugeconversion and electrification of the track running throughthe Gir forests on grounds this would adversely affect theexisting lion population in the sanctuary.

''The proposal is at a nascent stage... The State Boardfor Wildlife (SBW) deliberated upon the proposal on September29, 2020, and it was decided to recommend this to the NationalBoard for Wildlife (NBW) for consideration and necessaryclearance subject to certain conditions and fulfilment ofcertain criteria,'' the forest department said in its response.

The proposal will be forwarded to the NBW by the stategovernment, and it is only after the apex board grantsapproval that the project shall be implemented, it said.

The department said the rail line in question has beenexisting in the Gir forest area before it was declared asanctuary.

''The Railways authorities, who are also party to thepresent proceedings, can be directed to ensure minimum speedlimit which can be maintained by trains to protect theinterest of lions and also other species in the Gir forest,''it said.

The department said there are also proposals to lay anoil and gas pipeline requiring an area of 173.28 hectare landby Gujarat State Petronet Ltd, but the same runs at a distanceof 4.8 km from the sanctuary.

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