Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Union Railway Ministry has formally announced the commissioning of 312 km of the 363 km Hospet–Londa–Tinaighat–Vasco railway line doubling project, declaring that it will accelerate the transport of coal, iron ore, and steel, apart from boosting tourism in Goa and Hampi.
While the project work in Karnataka has been completed, progress in Goa remains stalled owing to the need for forest clearances, as the proposed route cuts through the Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park. The Railway Ministry confirmed that the line doubling is being executed by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), a project first approved in the 2010-11 Railway Budget.
Environmental concerns have repeatedly delayed the project. In May 2022, the Supreme Court set aside the National Board for Wildlife’s clearance for the Castlerock–Kulem stretch and directed fresh impact assessments. The apex court, acting on the Central Empowered Committee’s report, described the project as “inefficient, unjustified, and potentially destructive.” While Goa had earlier secured Stage II approval for diversion of 138.39 hectares of forest land, the approval was kept in abeyance after the SC verdict. More recently, Goa’s bid to seek revocation of abeyance for the Kulem–Kalem section was rejected, with RVNL being asked to undertake a detailed biodiversity study.
The Ministry’s open admission that coal transportation is a key purpose of the project has triggered a political storm in Goa. Goa Forward Party chief and MLA Vijai Sardesai said, “The Goa government always misled people by claiming double tracking wasn’t for coal. Now, the truth is out. Mormugao is already devastated by coal pollution, and the BJP government wants to destroy villages from Velsao to Collem.”
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao echoed similar sentiments, accusing both the Centre and state of betraying Goans. “Mormugao residents are already suffering. Despite public resistance, the ‘double engine’ government is bent on pushing coal transportation. The BJP has betrayed Goans, silenced protests with police cases, and is destroying the health and future of our people.”
Joining the chorus, Goa Congress President Amit Patkar lashed out at the BJP governments at the Centre and in Goa. “The Railway Ministry has admitted this project is meant for coal transport. This exposes the sheer hypocrisy of BJP, which kept misleading Goans by falsely projecting it as ‘not a coal project’. The double engine BJP government wants to convert Goa into a coal hub to serve their crony friends, without caring for people’s health, the fragile environment, or Goa’s identity. Congress strongly opposes this destructive project. We will not allow BJP to mortgage Goa’s future. Our fight is to protect Goans’ health, preserve our environment, and safeguard our land for future generations.”
The commissioning announcement, celebrated in Karnataka, has reignited Goa’s fiercest battle between development and environment, with coal once again at the heart of the storm.
