Team Herald
PANJIM: The NGO Goa Foundation has opposed the doubling of railway track between Margao and Vasco in view of the Supreme Court verdict on double tracking.
Goa Foundation director Dr Claude Alvares argued that what is valid for wildlife is also applicable to human beings. The decision of the Supreme Court is also applicable outside the Wild life Sanctuary. He also said that the Supreme Court has specifically stated that coal should not be brought through Goa but should be brought from Vishakhapatnam to Bellary. This is a great boost to the anti-coal campaign in Goa, he said.
According to Dr Alvares, it is very rare that Supreme Court says no to railway project because it is assumed that railway projects are non polluting and good substitute for road transport. The court also observed that it is Tiger corridor declared by the National Tiger Conservation Authority and that was never factored by the any authority including the standing committee of National Board of Wild life (NBWL), who was duty bound to take the recommendations of the National Tiger Conservation Authority before taking its decision. This has been considered as statutory violation and on that ground also there was serious deficiency in the approvals granted for the project.
Dr Alvares said that though the Supreme Court verdict is regarding 34-km in the wildlife and national park, the court has made a categorical statement that don’t double this railway track and go somewhere else.
Dr Alvares said, “If you want to protect wildlife then it is very clear that you have to consider the impact it will have on human beings. The decision of the Supreme Court in respect of Mollem and National Park is also applicable to outside areas particularly from Margao to Vasco.”
