The Centre has granted final approval, subject to certain conditions, for felling nearly 1.40 lakh trees in forest areas of Madhya Pradesh to facilitate the Mhow-Khandwa gauge conversion project, officials said on Monday, according to PTI.
The tree felling will begin after the monsoon season, which officially ends on September 30. The project involves converting the existing metre-gauge railway line between Mhow and Khandwa into a 156-km broad-gauge corridor, PTI reported.
The approval comes after the project went through the forest-clearance process, with the Railways earlier receiving in-principle approval for the work in forest areas. Final permission was subject to completion of the required formalities and compliance with conditions aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the project.
Why was the tree-felling decision pending?
The Mhow-Khandwa gauge conversion requires railway construction through forest areas in Indore and Khargone districts. The project involves diversion of forest land, making clearance from the forest authorities necessary before the affected trees could be felled.
Earlier, the forest department had said that it had received in-principle approval from the Centre and that final permission would follow after the required formalities were completed. The clearance process also involved measures to minimise the impact of tree felling on wildlife, soil and moisture.
The project has faced environmental concerns because a section of the proposed railway line passes through dense forests around Mhow and Choral. Environmentalists have warned that large-scale tree felling could affect the ecological conditions of the region and increase human-wildlife conflict.
What are environmentalists concerned about?
Environmentalists have objected to the scale of tree felling required for the project. Concerns have particularly centred on the dense forests of Mhow and Choral and their role in the local ecology.
They also warned that the loss of forest cover could affect rainfall and temperatures in Indore and potentially increase human-wildlife conflict as natural habitats shrink.
The Railways and forest authorities, however, have planned measures to offset the environmental impact. Earlier clearance conditions included efforts to minimise tree cutting, while the forest department has also prepared a mitigation plan covering wildlife, soil and moisture conservation.
Green Railway Corridor plan for Mhow-Khandwa project
The forest department has made implementation of a “Green Railway Corridor Management Plan” a condition for the Mhow-Khandwa project.
Under the plan, the Railways will have to plant native species along the railway tracks and on available vacant land within and around the project area. It will also have to develop rainwater harvesting structures near the tracks and adopt energy-efficient measures in railway operations.
“Implementing the Green Railway Corridor Management Plan will help protect the environment and create conducive surroundings for wildlife,” Singh told PTI.
The green corridor plan will be funded by the Railways and monitored by the forest department.
According to officials, the Mhow-Sanawad section will affect 404 hectares of forest in Indore district and 46 hectares in Khargone district. To compensate for the environmental damage caused by tree felling, plantation will be carried out over twice the affected area.
Since suitable plantation land is limited in Indore, around 916 hectares have been identified in the forest divisions of Dhar and Jhabua. Officials said 1,000 saplings will be planted per hectare.
How the project will improve Indore’s rail connectivity
The Mhow-Khandwa project involves laying a 156-km broad-gauge line, replacing the 118-km metre-gauge route that was laid before Independence.
The project is targeted for completion by 2030, according to officials.
Around 1.40 lakh trees in the forest areas of Indore and Khargone will be affected by the project, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Lal Sudhakar Singh was quoted as saying in the PTI report. Of these, approximately 1.24 lakh trees are located in Indore district.
Once completed, the new Mhow-Khandwa line is expected to reduce the rail distance between Indore and Mumbai and strengthen western Madhya Pradesh’s connectivity with southern India.
This connectivity benefit is one of the key arguments for the project, which seeks to replace the old metre-gauge link with a broad-gauge corridor capable of integrating the region more effectively with the wider railway network.
“We have received final permission from the central government for tree felling. However, felling will begin in October, after the monsoon season is over,” the DFO told PTI.