The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change's (MoEFCC) Regional Empowered Committee (REC) has approved the upgrade of the railway line between Akola and Khandwa from meter gauge to broad gauge. Initially, the project planned to extend through the Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR), one of India's oldest tiger reserves known for its rich biodiversity. However, due to the lack of wildlife clearance, the project will now follow a new alignment, bypassing the reserve. The revised route will pass through Akot, Hiwarkhed, Sonala, Jalgaon Jamod, and Usami. The existing meter gauge line, established in 1959-60, halted operations on January 1, 2017, for gauge conversion. The entire project is part of a 473-km-long gauge conversion from Akola to Ratlam, with work continuing in other sections while the Akot-Amlakhurd segment (78 km) awaited wildlife clearance. The REC reviewed comments from the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW), who approved the proposal with specific wildlife mitigation measures as recommended by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). Based on these comments, the REC authorized the project. Executed by South Central Railway (SCR), the project requires diverting approximately 50 hectares of forest land in the Buldhana division. Maharashtra's government requested central approval for the project under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980. The forest area affected includes nearly 24 hectares in Madh and 26 hectares in Sawala. In June 2022, the Railway Board abandoned plans to extend the line through MTR due to future expansion constraints. Consequently, the alignment was modified. Originally estimated at Rs 14.54 billion in 2014, the project's cost is expected to rise by an additional Rs 7 billion due to changes in land acquisition rules and other factors. It will involve constructing 30 km of new track, including a 7-km-long tunnel. The new route will traverse the contiguous reserve forest of Buldhana, requiring tunneling through areas with rich tree density. Over 7,000 trees will be removed for the project. A 30-meter-deep railway tunnel is planned in compartments 625 and 627. The alignment passes through a wildlife corridor noted in the Melghat Tiger Conservation Plan, home to tigers, leopards, nilgai, and wild boar. Forest officials noted that while the area is actively used by wildlife, including tigers, the project will implement mitigation measures, land reclamation, and debris disposal plans to minimize its environmental impact. (ET)
