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Electrification of Railway tracks in Deepor Beel starts amid high security

BNE News Desk


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Amid high security, Northeast Frontier Railway starts electrification of the railway track passing through Depoor Beel from today.

While electrification of railway tracks has previously been completed up to the Guwahati station, the portion between Azara and Kamakhya stations could not be performed because to its proximity to the Deepor Beel Ramsar site.

Previously, the National Green Tribunal had halted all development on the railway tracks that run across the wetland.

The remaining section was supposed to be electrified on April 29, but it had to be delayed following a strong outcry by villagers and conservationists.

Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relation Officer of NFR told Business Northeast that the Ministry of Environment, forest and Climate Change had in a recent clarification on the applicability of the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980 had stated that the railways need not take the state government's permission to undertake development work in its own land.

The letter stated, "All Zonal Railways that had previously sought tree cutting permission, permission for forest land diversion, and wildlife clearances for Railway projects on Railway owned land within Railways' Right of Way, should now approach the concerned field offices of the forest & wildlife department and inform them of the content of the MoEFCC's letter dated 10.03.2022 and specify that the railways would be proceeding with the execution of Railway works for which no permission is now required. However, mitigating methods must be agreed upon by all parties."

Following agreements with the state forest department, the NFR has begun electrification of the 13-kilometer route beginning today, June 14.

In light of previous local objections, the NFR had stationed two platoons of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in the Deepor Beel region to ensure uninterrupted construction.

BNE News Desk