Bullet train will pass thru city’s green lung

While 77 hectares of forestland will be acquired for the bullet train project in Palghar and Thane districts of Maharashtra, the officials from the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) have stated that the project will also have an underground corridor in coastal regulation zone (CRZ) areas.

An official from NHRSCL confirmed that there will be a corridor passing from Bandra-Kurla Complex to Thane, which will have an underground pass cris-crossing the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).

However, the SGNP authorities said they have not received any such notification or proposal from the NHRSCL. "We have no idea whatsoever about the project entering and passing through the premises. We will only be able to take a call after we have an official confirmation of the project," said Anwar Ahmed, chief conservator of forest, SGNP.

Ahmed, however, added that once there was an official confirmation, the park authorities will then evaluate how the dream project impacts the premises, its ecological balance and the wildlife.

The high-speed train, with a capacity for 750 passengers, will travel at speeds between 320 km/hour and 350 km/hour and is expected to reduce travel time between Ahmedabad and Mumbai to three-and-ahalf hours or less from the current eight hours. The project is expected to be completed in seven years.

At least, 312 villages in Gujarat and Maharashtra will have to give up their land, while 7,974 plots belonging to the forest authorities and Railways will have to be acquired for the project.

Meanwhile, naturalists have questioned the environmental hazards and highlighted the alleged human rights violations that the implementation of the Rs1.08 lakh crore train project would entail.

Experts have pointed out that trees being cut in the name of development and modernisation will result in citizens having to face several health issues due to smoke from the car, development work and industries.

The coming generations will suffer the most as they won’t get fresh air, which a green cover alone can provide. “In other countries, if trees are cut in the name of development, they also plant extra trees away from the construction site,” said Dinesh Mishra, an environmentalist.

Shardul Bajikar, a naturalist, said, "Needless to say that it is very important to preserve the only green lung we have in the city. We need hard scientific investigations to gauge what impact such infrastructure developments have. The ecological security of Mumbai is entwined with the posterity of SGNP. Any harm, direct or indirect, will directly impact the quality of life of a Mumbaikar."

According to Gopal Jhaveri, environmental activist and founder of River March Movement, "Firstly, Mumbai doesn't need a bullet train service to Ahmedabad, where we already have so many flights and train services. The destruction of forest land from Ghodbandar to Dahanu will obviously have an impact on the city's environment. With felling of trees, the biodiversity will also be adversely affected."