Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In a significant legal development, a division bench of the High Court in Goa has issued notices to the South Western Railway and the Directorate of Survey and Land Records (DSLR) regarding land acquisition proceedings within the Mollem Wildlife Sanctuary. This move comes in response to a writ petition filed by the Goa Foundation, which challenges the ongoing encroachment into protected areas for the purpose of doubling the Hospet-Hubli-Tinaighat-Vasco railway line. The sanctuary, located in Kalay village, has been at the center of controversy due to these activities, despite a Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that revoked all permissions for such work within the sanctuary.
The petition highlights two key methods through which the South Western Railways have allegedly encroached upon the protected area. Firstly, it points to illegal land acquisition proceedings under the Railways Act. Secondly, it addresses changes made to land revenue records in 2024, which created a new survey number (Sy No 165/1) in favor of the South Western Railways. This new survey includes the existing railway track and significant tracts of land on either side, much of which falls within the wildlife sanctuary. Recently, numerous trees within this area have been marked for felling, further exacerbating concerns about habitat destruction.
The Goa Foundation’s legal challenge questions the authority of both the South Western Railways and the DSLR to acquire land or alter land status within the sanctuary, arguing that such actions violate the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Despite legal protections and ongoing proceedings, the sanctuary remains under threat from human activities, impacting both the habitat and the wildlife it shelters. The matter has been adjourned until March 4, with the court considering a plea to restrain tree felling within the sanctuary.
