here is an update on the hubli ankola western ghats line.

this railway line that is nearly about 200 kms long will destroy around 1000 hectares of pristine evergreen western ghats forests.

from the link,
Mr. Velu clarified that the issue of giving clearance to Hubli-Ankola railway line was before the Supreme Court's Empowerment Committee. Asked why the work had been stopped when the Empowerment Committee had not given a stay, the Minister said the work in forest areas could not be undertaken unless a clearance was obtained from the committee.

On why the work on the project in the non-forest area had also been stopped, Trilok Nath Perti, General Manager of South Western Railway, clarified that unless the entire project got the clearance, even work in non-forest areas could not be continued.

this railway line mainly to carry the iron ore from the eastern side of karnataka (in bellary district where illegal mining is rampant) onto the ports for export to china.

this railway line will serve the purpose of plundering bellary and in 20/30 years when the indiscriminate mining depletes everything the railway line will stand mute testimony of the destruction it has wrought upon the ghats.

in name of development we count the dollar/rupee amounts of iron ore exports but not the huge environmental, social and human costs of it.