Bengaluru: The National Wildlife Board (NWB) has been directed by the Karnataka High Court to decide on the issue of forest and wildlife damage caused by the proposed within 10 weeks.
The Board’s decision will be based on a report from an expert panel that has been formed to analyse the effect of the railway line on the forest and wildlife. A slew of public interest litigation in the High Court has challenged the construction of a 168-kilometre broad-gauge railway line between Hubballi and Ankola, citing potential environmental and ecological damage.
The Board’s decision will be presented to the High Court’s division bench by the NWB.
The railway line, according to the PILs, crosses through the Kali tiger reserve, which is part of the environmentally vulnerable Western Ghats. Over two lakh trees and over 600 hectares of forest area will have to be cleared to make space for the railway line.
