Trivandrum: In an affidavit submitted before the National Green Tribunal, the Central Government has said that the SilverLine semi high-speed rail project does not require any prior environment clearance. The affidavit was filed before NGT on behalf of the Central Government by Dr Murali Krishna, a scientist from the Regional Office of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Bengaluru.
As per the EIA notification issued by the Central Department of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change on September 14, 2006, covers 39 development projects and activities including airports, ports, national highways, and buildings. This does not include railways or railway projects. Therefore, the SilverLine project does not require environmental permission, the affidavit said.
The affidavit further pointed out the incident of the Supreme Court staying the order of the National Green Tribunal seeking environment clearance for the Noida-Greater Noida Metro Rail project.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Rail Development Corporation (K-Rail) has appointed a consortium led by EQMS India Limited to conduct a comprehensive environmental impact assessment of the Silverline project and asked them to complete the study and submit the report within fourteen months. SilverLine rail project is envisioned as a complete green project, said the K-Rail officials in an earlier affidavit filed before the NGT. They also stated that the project is funded by foreign financial institutions that having strict systems in place to monitor the environment and social causes of the project. K-Rail stated that it would obtain all the permits required by law from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on time.
SilverLine is an ambitious project that connects the distance of 530 km from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram in less than four hours.
Kerala Rail News