Check viability of alternative route: Union ministry to Rly

Two railway lines already pass through the core area, third line might lead to irreparable loss to biodiversity, say state forest officials

Taking cognizance of the Jharkhand government’s objection over construction of another railway line through core area of Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR), the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change has written to Railway officials for examining the technical feasibility of an alternative route, officials said on Sunday.

The director general (DG) of forest under the aforesaid Union ministry, Sanjay Kumar, in his letter, a copy of which is with the HT, said, “The feasibility of alternative route to bypass the core area of PTR should be examined by Railway authorities immediately in consultation with state government officials and the NTCA. The Ministry of Railways may resolve this matter without any further delay.”

Two railway lines already pass through the tiger reserve’s core area. A third broad gauge line has been proposed between Patratu and Son Nagar stations with a nine km long stretch passing through the PTR, that might lead to irreparable loss to biodiversity and fragmentation of the critical tiger habitat, state forest officials said.

According to the forest officials, the existing double lines passing through a stretch of around 11km between Chhipadohar and Hehegara section within core area of the reserve has caused much damage.

The Jharkhand government has been demanding to shift all railway lines--the two existing ones and the one proposed--outside the core area of the reserve.

When contacted, DG Kumar said over phone, “A letter from Jharkhand was earlier received, saying that alternative route for the proposed railway line has still not been explored by Railway authorities. So, I have written to Railway authorities to conduct a technical feasibility for the alternative route. Everything has its pros and cons; they cannot be understood until a study is done.”

He said if the Jharkhand government has raised concerns over the proposed railway line, the Railways must address it.

The DG’s letter also mentions that at a PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister in January last year, it was directed to examine the alternative route for the proposed railway line.

The PTR was notified a year after former PM Indira Gandhi announced Project Tiger in 1973. The reserve, that once housed over 70 tigers, has now become “tiger-less” due to various reasons, including habitat loss. The big cat’s population dwindled to 10 in 2010 and came down to zero in 2018, according to an All India Tiger Estimation (AITE) 2018 report.

Principal chief conservator of forest (Wildlife), Rajiv Ranjan, said, “We have not received any official communication from Railways for exploration of alternative routes. Meanwhile, it (Railways) has submitted proposals for wildlife clearance, that has been forwarded to the state board of wildlife. We have raised objections over it.”

He said, “At a a meeting with Railway officials on March 10 this year, we demanded to explore alternative alignment of the proposed third line and existing lines outside the PTR. However, the officials of Railway Vikas Nigam Limited, the agency that is carrying out the work, said they were not authorised to consider the proposal. They suggested consulting the Union Railways ministry.”

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has also warned against the construction. “An NTCA committee in its report dated January 11, 2020 recommended that no construction of the third broad gauge line should be carried out within the core habitat of PTR, considering its wider ecological ramification on the fragile Palamu landscape and its impacts on recovery and future persistence of many endangered species, including tigers,” Ranjan said.

Ex-state wildlife board member DS Srivastava said that the existing double line has already caused killing of several wild animals in past 10 years. “In August last year, five deer were killed by a goods train in the PTR. In the past one decade, around 13 elephants were killed,” he said. “The third line will divide the reserve in two due to frequency of trains. Animals will not be able to roam freely.”