# Scientists slam railway doubling EIA for Western Ghats route 2026-08-10T23:47:05+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet A peer-reviewed study by 20 scientists from Karnataka and Goa has rejected the Wildlife Institute of India's environmental impact assessment for the Tinaighat-Kulem railway doubling, calling it scientifically inadequate. The project, part of a 342-km expansion linking Karnataka's mining areas to Goa's Vasco port, would cut through Kali tiger reserve and Bhagwan Mahavir wildlife sanctuary, requiring felling of 19,182 trees in the Western Ghats. The review published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa says the EIA omits freshwater fish, insects and fungi, and fails to assess habitat fragmentation and wildlife corridor connectivity. The authors warn of increased wildlife mortality from train collisions. The Deccan Herald reports the Goa State Board for Wildlife rejected the proposal in 2013, and the Supreme Court in 2022 set aside earlier wildlife clearance, noting irreversible ecological damage for marginal railway gains. ## Coverage - deccanherald.com Tags: Bhagwan Mahavir sanctuary, environmental impact assessment, Kali tiger reserve, railway doubling, Western Ghats, wildlife corridors Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/scientists-slam-railway-doubling-eia-for-western-ghats-route/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/scientists-slam-railway-doubling-eia-for-western-ghats-route/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.