MARGAO, March 5 -- Team Herald

The Regional Empowered Committee (REC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has upheld the abeyance order disallowing the diversion of 15.6 hectares of forest land for the Kulem-Margao railway double tracking project. This decision, which rejects the Goa government's request to remove the order, has been welcomed by environmentalists who warn that the project threatens the fragile ecosystem of the Western Ghats.

Goa Foundation (GF) director Claude Alvares stated, "The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by the Supreme Court had strongly criticised the railway double-tracking project, finding no justification for jeopardising the fragile ecosystem of the Western Ghats...