Konkan Railway Corporation: Choice of Alignment in Goa

G Raghuram
It was Friday, March 26,1993. The bulldozers, cranes, the
tunnelling equipment and the pile driving equipment
came to a griding halt as the Prime Minister's order to
stop work in the Goa segment of the Konkan Railway
Corporation was confirmed by the Chairman, Mr
Sreedharan, to his field executives. Apart from the
controversy over the impact on the natural environment,
the issue of the alignment of the Konkan Railway had got
embroiled in the political turmoil in Goa. The current
Chief Minister, Mr Ravi Naik's tenure was uncertain
The Konkan Railway Corporation's project due to a controversy over the validity of his elections.
While Mr Ravi Naik and the Transport Minister of Goa,
bridging the Konkan gap between Bombay Mr Panduranga Raout were clearly in favour of the
and Mangalore has got embroiled in various alignment on which construction was in progress, the
controversies—environmental, political, as Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Wilfred D'Souza and Mr
well as religious. The issue is not about the Eduardo Faleiro, the only Minister in the Union Cabinet
passage of the Konkan Railway through Goa from Goa, were vehemently against the alignment.
as much as the choice of alignment among Former Union Minister and sitting MP, Mr George
Fernandes, a key architect of this project during his
the many available alternatives. tenure as the Railway Minister in 1989-90, said in a
Readers are invited to send their statement to the press that "the power struggle in Goa
between the Chief Minister Mr Ravi Naik and Mr Faleiro
responses on the case to Vikalpa office. had forced the Prime Minister to suspend the ongoing
G Raghuram is a member of the faculty in the work of Konkan Railway in Goa." In fact, the Prime
Minister had given an explicit green signal to the project
Public Systems Group of the Indian Institute of on March 16,1993, when a section of the Konkan Railway
Management, Ahmedabad. was opened for traffic. The Goa Government had also
reiterated to their assembly, both on March 23rd and
24th, 1993, that work would proceed on the current
alignment, in answer to questions.
The controversy also appeared to be taking the garb
of a nasty inter-community and inter-regional fight
between the Hindu-dominated North Goa and Christian-
dominated South Goa. The additional costs due to
stoppage of work would be at least Rs 10 lakh per day as
interest on borrowed loans. Further, the project
completion was likely to be delayed from the much
touted October 1994 deadline, since the work stoppage
was during the prime working season of summer. The
issues regarding the Konkan Railway alignment had got
increasingly complicated over a period of time. However,
one thing was clear—the problem was not about the
passage of the Konkan Railway through Goa as much as

Vol. 20, No. 3, July-September 1995 53

the choice of alignment among the many available options while laying down a railway line. It could be
alternatives. either a hill slope line or a coastal one. The chain of hills
that constituted the Western Ghats ran parallel to the
Konkan Railway Corporation: west coast. The ghats descended sharply to the coastal
The Background region on the west, but merged in gentle slopes with the
Deccan plateau on the east. Due to high density of
In 1990, a new chapter was added to the history of the rainfall, the western slopes of the ghats were rich in
railways in India, when, for the first time, the construction evergreen and deciduous forests. The Konkan coastal
of a new railway line was taken up under the EOT zone was generally narrow with a maximum width of 50
scheme (build, operate, and transfer). This was to bridge km, narrowing suddenly near Karwar in Karnataka,
the Konkan gap in the railway network of about 1,000 where the ghats almost touched the sea.
km between Bombay and Mangalore on the west coast
of India (Exhibit 1). This had been a long felt need for Even though the alignment did not pass through
nearly a century which finally got fructified when the Kerala, it would terminate at Mangalore just outside
"Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd." (KRC) was set up Kerala and was thus expected to benefit the state. All the
under the Indian Companies Act on 19th July, 1990. The four states welcomed the Konkan Railway project and
final push had been given by the Janata Dal Ministry at felt that it would be a great catalyst for development. The
the centre when Prof Madhu Dandavate was the Finance 'least cost' alignment proposed by KRC was accepted in
Minister and Mr George Fernandes was the Railway toto by the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Minister, both of whom hailed from the Konkan region. Unfortunately, the alignment in Goa developed into a
contentious issue with a see-saw battle between the
KRC was set up with the active participation of the various interest groups.
central government and four state governments of
Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, and Kerala, to raise the The Chairman and Managing Director of KRC, Mr
necessary finances for a project of this magnitude and to Sreedharan, was a railway engineer with a distinguished
execute it within a tight time schedule of four years. The service record who rose to become the Member
project was then estimated to cost Rs 1,400 crore for the (Engineering) in the Railway Board. On retirement from
construction of a 768 km long railway line between Roha the Railways, Mr Sreedharan was specially selected to
in Maharashtra and Mangalore. The portion from head the KRC. He organized the KRC project into seven
Bombay to Roha had been constructed earlier to meet sectors, each headed by a field Chief Engineer, for quick
the needs of the industrial development in the region. execution. Goa was one of the sectors. The organization
The project was to be financed through equity capital of functioning was marked by quick decision-making, based
Rs 400 crore and the balance through bonds and loans. on trust and reduced bureaucratic procedures.
The equity capital was to be split between the centre and Information technology support was used quite
the four beneficiary states in the ratio of 51:49, the share extensively for communication and analysis. The staff
of each of the states being 22, 6, 15 and 6 per cent profile consisted of just retired railway officials (like Mr
respectively. The project was expected to have an internal Sreedharan), deputationists from Indian Railways (like
rate of return anywhere between 14 and 18 per cent, Mr Rajaram, the Chief Engineer in Goa), and direct
depending on the tariffs charged. The typical savings recruits. Mr Rajaram had distinguished himself in railway
for the Bombay-Cochin traffic would be 500 km in research during his service stint at the Research, Design,
distance and 12 hours in time, for the Bombay-Mangalore and Standards Organization of the Indian Railways. He
traffic, 1100 km and 26, for the Bombay-Goa traffic, 185 also had a few international publications on railway
km and 10 hours respectively. Savings in fare would be engineering to his credit.
marginal, if at all. The line would be built with a speed
The corporate mission and corporate culture of KRC
potential of 160 kmph, though actual running speed
as envisioned by Mr Sreedharan in 1990 is given in
would depend on coaching stock, which, as per current
Box 1. The October 1994 deadline was taken very
Indian standards, permitted 130 kmph. Traffic density
seriously and reiterated continuously by the top
was expected to be high, like in any main line railway
management. Countdown clocks were put up in all the
with a single line.
offices, indicating the number of days remaining for
The Konkan Railway alignment passed through opening. Mr Sreedharan was also keen to open the entire
backward coastal areas of Maharashtra, Goa, and line in one stroke, since operations should not distract
Karnataka states, the length of line in each state being construction efforts. However, in March 1993, a 70 km
382 km, 105 km, and 273 km respectively (Exhibit 2). The stretch from Udupi to Mangalore at the Southern end of
terrain of the Konkan region allowed only'two broad the Konkan Railway was opened for traffic. Preparations

54 Vikalpa
were on to open a 50 km stretch from Roha to Dasgaon 1992-93, Goa had 52 large and medium industrial projects
at the Northern end, by end 1993. KRC wanted to open and 5,201 small registered units. Production included
these sections in order to experiment with the new nylon fishing nets, ready-made clothing, electronic goods,
maintenance methodology in line with the modern inputs pesticides, pharmaceuticals, tyres, footwear, fertilisers,
which had gone into the construction. This was basically automotive components, and ship building. Mineral
to develop a measure of confidence to implement this resources of Goa included bauxite, f erro manganese ore,
new maintenance philosophy when the whole section and iron ore, all of which were exported. There were also
would be opened for traffic. reserves of limestone and clay.
The State of Goa The state of Goa housed three wildlife sanctuaries,
namely, Bondla forest sanctuary, Cotigao wildlife
The state of Goa, the 25th in the Union of India, was sanctuary, and Bhagwan Mahavir wildlife sanctuary.
formed on 30th May 1987 separating it from the Union Goa was a culturally rich state and was famous for its
Territory of Goa, Daman, and Diu. Goa was liberated on historic churches, cathedrals, and monasteries. Most of
19th December 1961 after 451 years of Portuguese rule. these were in South Goa and were deemed as "national
The state comprised of two districts, North Goa and heritage" structures.
South Goa with headquarters at Panaji and Margao
respectively. The state capital was Panjim (Panaji). Goa Goa had not only one of the best road networks in the
was a relatively small state, with a geographical area of country, but also a strong bus operators lobby. The road
3702 sq. km. Ensconced on the slopes of the Western network comprised of 223 km. of national highways
Ghats (Sahyadri ranges), Goa was bounded on the north (NH). The NH17 ran from north to south for a distance
by Sindhurdurg district of Maharashtra, on the east and of 153 km through Goa. It was vulnerable to heavy rains
south by Belgaum and Karwar districts of Karnataka during the monsoon. An east-west national highway
respectively, and on the west by the Arabian sea (Exhi- linked Panaji with Belgaum which was on the Bombay-
bit 3). It was interspersed with extensive paddy fields Bangalore-Madras NH 4. The state was presently linked
to the national railway network through a metre gauge
and a fine network of waterways. Its rivers Tirakol,
line from Mormugao Port and Vasco-da Gama up to
Chapora, Mandovi, Zuari, Sal, and Talpona were
Londa junction where it connected with the Hubli-Miraj
navigable throughout the year. They had their origins in
main line.
the Sahyadri ranges and flowed westwards into the
Arabian sea, 60 km away, breaking the 105 km long Alignment through Goa
coastline into estuaries and bays which mark off idyllic
palm fringed beaches. The Konkan Railway line entered Goa in the north near
Pernem (524 km from Bombay) and left the state after
Some vital statistics of Goa based on census data are Loliem, the total route length in Goa being 104.9 km. The
as under: proposed locations of stations are as follows:

In 1984-85, about 62 per cent of the population of Goa

consisted of Hindus who were dominant in North Goa,
36 per cent Christians dominant mainly in South Goa,
and 2 per cent Muslims and other communities.
Agriculture was the most important occupation in
the state, and provided employment to about 1.6 lakh
people, providing for the livelihood of about 60 per cent
of the population. The next important sector was tourism.
Almost 17 per cent of Goa's population earned their
livelihood directly or indirectly from tourism. During
Vol. 20, No. 3, July-September 1995
 The first survey of the railway alignment in Goa Controversial Issues of the Alignment
sector was done as early as 1970-71, when the Konkan
Railway was first proposed. The alignment was to run Out of the total of 105 km in Goa, there was no controversy
on the foothills from the Maharashtra border until regarding the sections from Pernem to Mayem (22 km)
Margao, where it would meet the existing metre gauge and from Balli to Loliem (29 km). The controversy had
line. From here, it was parallel and was to close to the arisen for the portion from Mayem to Balli (55 km) for
coast until the Karnataka border. It was to pass through which representations had been received for a change in
Pernem, Asnoda, Bicholim, Fonda, Shiroda, Raia, the alignment to the hinterland. Opposition to the KRC
Margao, Balli, Canacona and a part of Cotigao wildlife alignment hinged on issues such as the Khazan lands,
sanctuary. Panaji and Mapusa were not touched by this the Carambolim lake, mangrove swamps and other
alignment. Therefore, a branch line taking off from wetlands, and the settlements and churches of old Goa,
Asnoda through Mapusa to Panaji, stopping on the etc. Exhibit 5 shows the land use pattern in Goa.
northern bank of Mandovi river was suggested. The Khazan Lands: A unique coastal estuarine agro eco
prime consideration was to avoid crossing of Zuari and system, Khazan lands, which comprised of 18,000
Mandovi rivers near their junctions with the sea. hectares of land, played a crucial role in the state's
The Goa Government had been non-committal about ecology. The term Khazan was said to be derived from
this project, primarily due to the investments required. the Portuguese "Casana" which meant a big rice field.
It was only in October 1984, bowing to public pressure The Khazan land concept was peculiar to Goa and
and demands from the state governments, that the that too in the estuaries of Mandovi and Zuari rivers due
Railway Minister commissioned Southern Railway to to geological reasons. In these estuaries, lateritic
undertake a final location survey. Since substantial formations had been eroded by the river action creating
developments had taken place after 1972 such as low lying land, i.e., below the high tide level. These were
extensive mining in the Pali-Sankhli belt and building reclaimed for paddy cultivation by provision of series of
activities along the existing roads, the Central Railway bunds and sluice gates allowing rain water to wash the
alignment would interfere with the mining operations fields, but not permitting saline water to damage the
and would pass through inhabited areas requiring paddy fields. During the first rains, the fresh water
extensive acquisition of houses for construction. In 1986- washed the fields and paddy was grown. After the
87, the Southern Railway proposed the Konkan Railway paddy was harvested, the tidal waters were allowed
alignment through Mapusa, Panaji, Margao and through sluice gates and fish farming was carried out.
Canacona, almost all along the coast. The aim was to
bring the state capital on the main line itself rather than The system of Khazan was basically an engineering
on a branch line. The State Government accepted this feat to reclaim the area for productive use that would
alignment. otherwise have been colonized by the sea. The Khazan
lands were generally privately owned, though some
In 1990, after the KRC was formally set up, it patches were owned by the local village community. Of
commenced detailed field surveys to acquire land along about 18,000 hectares of Khazan lands in Goa, 2,000
the 1986-87 alignment. The field survey resulted in were used for two crops of paddy, 12,000 for one crop,
changes to the alignment. The modified alignment was and 4,000 were inundated the year round. The
somewhere between the alignments suggested by the productivity of Khazan lands was quite low—40,000
Central and Southern Railways. It was felt that an tonne per year. The 18 km KRC alignment through the
alignment passing through Mapusa and Panaji was not Khazan lands would directly affect 30 hectares of Khazan
desirable and, therefore, it was shifted through Ponda as lands. It was further feared that the KRC alignment
originally chosen by the Central Railway. On the southern would destroy the delicate balance of fresh and saline
sector, the alignment was shifted towards the coast to water in a longer area of the Khazan, thereby making
avoid the Cotigao wildlife sanctuary. The alignment them unusable. Also, once the rain water stagnated in
was again shifted to the west of Ponda (and closer to the Khazan land, it was feared that it would become a
Panaji) at the request of the State Government. This was breeding ground for the Culex mosquito.
the final KRC proposed alignment. Carambolim Lake: The Carambolim "lake"-wet
It was this alignment which raised controversies land had been in existence since ancient times. It was a
from various interest groups who proposed a hinterland low lying marshy land of 72 hectares in the
alignment in 1991. Exhibit 4 shows the alignments Carambolim village. The depth of the water body
proposed by the Central Railway, Southern Railway, varied from 0.75 to 1.25 metre. The lake was host to
KRC, and the hinterland alignment. around 120 species of migratory birds from November
to March. The lake was

58 Vikalpa
important for local agriculturists as it helped irrigate was once again reviewed on March 25, 1991, by the
their field when there were no rains and also helped entire Goa cabinet along with the ML As of the concerned
recharge the water table. The KRC alignment required a regions and the KRC engineers. With a slight modification
part of the lake to be filled up. Environmentalists feared between Majorda and Cansaulim, the KRC alignment
that this would not only alter the ecology of the area but cleared by the previous ministry was once again
the sound of the high speed trains would scare the birds confirmed.
away.
Mr Eduardo Faleiro: It was only after the last
Mangrove Swamps and Other Wet Lands: The general elections, i.e., in July 1991, that the first
inter-tidal mudflat areas of the estuaries of Goa opposition to the present railway alignment surfaced. Mr
supported about 20 different species of mangrove. Eduardo Faleiro, an MP from south Goa, was the first to
Mangrove swamps constituted vital nursery areas for raise an objection to the alignment as proposed by
commercially important fishes, prawns, and other KRC and asked for realignment through the
crustaceans. The extent of mangroves in Goa was hinterland (Exhibit 5). According to him, the
about 2,008 hectares. About 900 hectares were along original plan incorporated in the regional railway plan
the Zuari estuary, 700 hectares along Mandovi took the line along the foothills of the Western Ghats
estuary, 200 hectares along Camburjua canal, and the through the hinterland talukas of Goa. The present
rest in Chapora, Talapona, Galgibag, and Terekhol alignment through densely populated areas of
rivers. The current alignment passed through 197 Quepem, Salcete, Margao, and other coastal areas
hectares of mangrove swamps and other wet lands, was not acceptable. He demanded changes in certain
though the direct impact of the railway on mangrove sectors, particularly Salcete. He did not want the line to
ecosystem in coastal Goa was questionable. pass through populated districts. He said that the
Settlements and Churches of Old Goa : The hinterland route would be required to take the rail line
present alignment passed through densely populated to mine heads where 750 million tonne of low grade ore
areas of Salcete, Margao, and Quepem. This was were stockpiled.
expected to result in changes in the socio-cultural The Gomantak Lok Paksh: A local environmental
lifestyles of the residents of various villages. The group, the Paksh came out first to organize a public
alignment would cut across road networks and cause campaign against the KRC route. The volunteers
vibrations and noise pollution. Fears were also argued that the ill-conceived route involved demolition
expressed regarding the high probability of slums of a large number of houses and acquisition of
growing along the tracks. The protest groups also farmland. They felt that it would also divide the
feared possible damage to the churches in old Goa, villages of south Goa and destroy the harmony of life.
since the current alignment ran close to many of them. An environment education magazine, Down to Earth,
The most notable was the 400 year old 'World Heritage reported: "While the project was received with public
Site' of St. Francis Xavier's church, whose location was enthusiasm in Maharashtra and Karnataka, a strong and
1.5 km from the alignment. influential section of Goa's population rose up in arms
Wildlife Sanctuaries: It was feared that wildlife, against the proposal and what they saw as
reptiles, and birds may get affected due to excessive vandalization of the west coast. It is not the Konkan
disturbance as a result of human and machinery Railway they are opposed to, but the route chosen. They
movements during construction and noise pollution want the realignment of the line which, according to the
during the operation. However, the present alignment KRC blueprint, runs almost all the way close to the coast
did not pass through any notified sanctuaries. and at places like Majorda in south Goa, is just about a
kilometre from the seashore. Since human settlements
Stand taken by Various Actors and Interest are also concentrated along the coast, they are especially
Groups incensed by the fact that the line passes through thickly
populated areas, particularly in south Goa."
State Government: The Southern Railway
alignment through Mapusa, Panaji, Margao, and Mr Wilfred D'Souza: The Deputy Chief Minister of
Canacona was accepted by the State Government in Goa and a bitter critic of the present KRC alignment
1988, when Mr Pratap Singh Rane was the Chief stated, "This railway line is not meant for Goa and the
Minister. The KRC alignment through Pernem, Goans. Goa is being used just as a corridor."
Asnoda, Mapusa, Mayem, Old Goa, Agassim, Verna, KRRAC: The most pitched opposition to the present
Suravali, Margao, Sarzora, Balli, Barcem, Canacona, route came from various groups of environmentalists,
and Loliem also had the approval of the then Chief who had come together under a federation called the
Minister, Dr Luis Proto Barbosa, in 1990. When Mr 'Konkan Railway Realignment Action Committee'
Ravi Naik assumed power, the alignment earlier (KRRAC). The KRRAC was agitating for the railway
cleared by the State Government

Vol. 20, No. 3, July-September 1995 59

route between Asnoda and Balli to be shifted away from alignment due to fear that mining concessions would
the coast towards the eastern hinterland which was less have to be given up along the route.
developed with a lower density of population. Mr M K
Jos, a KRRAC activist and local entrepreneur, stated: Mr Mario Cabralesa: A counter point was provided
"Superfast trains travelling at a speed of 140 km an hour by Mr Mario Cabralesa, a local journalist who was also
will have a tremendous ecological impact, and destabilize the media advisor to the KRC. He felt,
buildings." Mr Matanhy Saldanha, another KRRAC "environmental threats were being brought up only to
leader and veteran of many an environmental battle in promote personal gains." He alleged that real estate
Goa, pointed out that the present route will "totally prices along the Goan coast were astronomical and
destroy" the "extremely fertile" Khazan lands between "every single inch of land had already been negotiated
Mayem and Cortalim and the Carabolim lake wetland by developers. A railway line close to the coast would
where migratory birds from all over the world come to affect the exclusivity of this land and hence affect the
nest in winter. prices." One luxury hotelier admitted, "we do not
want the railways so close to the coast. Besides the
According to Mr Urban Lobo, a civil engineer and a noise, they bring a lot of riff-raff who are simply a
KRRAC activist, the railway line was bound to be a nuisance to our tourists." More importantly, the "official"
health hazard and would cause epidemics of vast land prices at which the government would acquire the
magnitude that could wipe out whole villages. Ms Aruna land were much lower than the "unofficial, but actual"
Rodriguez, a management consultant from Goa, felt that prices of land transactions. This was true even of the
a shift of only 20 km to the east of the planned coastal farmlands and Khazan lands.
alignment to the midlands, along the foothills of the
Western Ghats (a mere increase of around 15 km) would Mr George Fernandes: Goa not only had one of the
halt the grim prospect of environmental destruction and best road networks in the country, but also had a strong
degradation of the quality of life. The feasible midland bus operators lobby. A rail line close to the National
route was desirable in the interest of sustainable Highway, especially in the highly developed Salcete
development, based on integrating ecological and area, was bound to affect business adversely. In this
economic criteria. context, the former Railway Minister, Mr George
Fernandes, alleged that Mr Eduardo Faleiro was acting
Goa Architects Association: According to Mr at the behest of the powerful transporters lobby of the
Ralino D'Souza, Chairperson of the Goa chapter of region.
Indian Architects Association, "Goa's villages and
towns are thickly populated and the railway line will Response by the Railway Ministry
split many of them. It will add to congestion and harass The original demand of the KRC alignment opposition
the people." group was that right from Pernem to Loliem, the
The Church: The church in Goa was very critical of alignment should be taken about 25 to 30 km to the east
the project, making it an issue even during church into the foothills of the Western Ghats. Later, in the
sermons. South Goa was the hub of the Christians meeting convened by the Railway Minister, Mr Jaffer
where all the architectural remnants of the past stood. Sharief, at Delhi on August 21,1991, Mr Faleiro and the
The Hindus, who dominated North Goa, were by and chief protagonists of the realignment reduced this
large in favour of the present alignment. The near demand of realignment to about 50 km between Mayem
unanimous protest to the present alignment by the and Balli. (The Congress party had come to power at the
Christian dominated South Goan community had been centre in early 1991. They did not change any of the
interpreted as communal in some quarters. decisions regarding the KRC which were taken by the
Janata Dal Ministry. Mr Sharief, elected to the parliament
Mr Raj an Narayan: A local media person, Mr from Karnataka, and Minister of State for Railways
Narayan suggested a different point of view that "If the during the previous Congress regime, was made the
railway line had passed through the hinterland, it Union Minister for Railways.)
might have helped to catalyse new industries in the
hinterland to provide alternate employment The Railway Minister explained that realignment
opportunities to the residents of Goa who would be through a virgin forest territory would again need a
rendered unemployed when the mining resources were detailed engineering study which would give a setback
exhausted. By rejecting the hinterland alignment, to the whole project by at least one year to get necessary
the Konkan Railway Corporation and the permission for surveying through reserve forest areas
Government of Goa have sacrificed the interests of and to finalize the engineering proposals. From the
future generations of Goans in the hinterland for the study of topo maps, it would appear that such an
short-term benefits of the mining industry." The mine alignment would be about 19 km longer and would
owners did not want the hinterland

60 Vikalpa
involve an additional 7.5 km of tunnelling, resulting in activities were expected to continue for the next 30 to 40
an additional cost of about Rs 55 crore. This, coupled years. One of the routes suggested would pass through
with the cost escalations and interest costs due to the one a wildlife sanctuary while another would mean excessive
year delay, would cost the KRC an additional Rs 250 tunnel length. The report disagreed with the contention
crore. The Railway Minister stated that if the Goa of the proponents of realignment that the proposed
Government was prepared for this delay and to bear the routes would hit the industrialization of the state and
additional cost of Rs 250 crore, he would have dialogues damage the Khazan lands. Mr Menezes also noted that
with other participating State Governments to make the old metre gauge line had already bisected the villages
them accept the delay in completion of the project. A in Salcete taluka and hence the new broad gauge line
letter to this effect was sent to the Goa Government. would not significantly alter the situation.
The State Government under Mr Ravi Naik promptly Environmental Impact Studies
advised the Railway Ministry through their letter dated
30.9.1991 that they did not want any major change in the Environmental impact assessment (EIA) was mandatory
alignment already finalized. They, however, suggested to any development project, as introduced by the
that the portion between Margao and Balli be slightly Planning Commission in 1977. The EIA was meant to
shifted eastward so that heavily built up areas south of describe the condition of the environment, ecosystems,
Margao could be avoided. The government felt that the and wildlife in and around the project site, make
fears expressed by the KRRAC protest group regarding prescriptions about how to deal with the environment at
the coastal alignment, in relation to environment and the time of the project, and suggest monitoring
socio-economic changes, etc., were not supported by mechanisms so that future damages are minimized. It
facts. was, however, not clear if railway projects also had to do
Mr Rajaram, Chief Engineer of KRC for the Goa an EIA as a mandatory requirement.
sector, felt strongly that the present route would have In 1989, the Environment Ministry set up an expert
the least environmental impact. He argued that the group to frame guidelines for railway projects, to be
alternative route being suggested by the KRRAC and applicable for all new railway projects. The guidelines
some other groups passed through rich forests and compelled the railways to prepare an EIA and
mines and this would cause more severe environmental Environmental Management Plan (BMP).
damage as it would destroy forests spread over 350
hectares. The KRRAC countered him by saying that the Soon after the project was approved in the Railway
hinterland alignment would affect only 54 hectares of Budget of 1990-91, the Ministry of Railways
forests. commissioned RITES on 2nd April 1990 to carry out an
EIA of the alignment. RITES, in turn, engaged the
In view of the representations received against the services of a well known environmentalist, Dr Madhav
coastal alignment, the Minister for Railways set up a Gadgil, head of the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian
one-man committee in October 1991 headed by Mr M Institute of Science, for the study in the Goa sector, south
Menezes, a Goan and former Chairman of the Railway of Panaji.
Board, to give an opinion on the alignment in Goa. In the
meantime, land acquisition and construction had begun A few months after the KRC was set up, Mr R
in the Goa sector by mid-1991. Rajamani, Secretary, Department of Environment and
Forests, wrote to the Railway Board Chairman, Mr R D
After studying the proposals carefully including Kitson informing him about the possible adverse
that of the realignment lobby, Mr Menezes submitted
environmental impact the Konkan Railway could have
his report in November 1991 to the Railway Ministry. Ho
in the region. On June 25,1991, the Railway Board wrote
suggested that the controversial rail line maybe diverted
back to Mr Rajamani, stating that the KRC had already
for a distance of 13 km from Margao to Balli in South Goa
while maintaining the present stretch for the remaining conceived an EIA and that an BMP was being evolved.
46 km. Mr Menezes discussed the pros and cons of five On September 20, 1991, Mr Rajamani got back to Mr
different realignments through the state before reaching Kitson demanding the relevant studies. He also wrote
his conclusions. While ruling out various options that the Konkan Railway proposal would need clearance
suggested by different agencies including the Goa from their ministry.
Architects Association, Mr Menezes said that some of During March-April 1992, the KRC duly submitted
them interfered with iron ore loading operations on the an EIA to the Environment Ministry for various parts of
river Mandovi, while some would pass over the iron ore the alignment from Roha to Mangalore. The EIA of the
deposits currently under exploitation where mining controversial section of the Konkan Railway line was

Vol. 20, No. 3, July-September 1995 61

done by a team of experts and field workers from the deforestation of the KRC route, endanger soil erosion
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. The team surveyed leading to landslides, floods and consequent damage to
an area of 10 km on either side of the proposed alignment. agricultural fields and coastal areas. The report pointed
The report submitted by Dr Madhav Gadgil of the out that 40 per cent of the mining concessions had been
Indian Institute of Science stated that the alignment given in the forest areas, already causing great damage
chosen was the "least impact" option as far as the Goa to the forests.
sector was concerned and also stated that the hinterland Among the safeguards suggested were construction
alignment would not only destroy the fragile ecosystem of adequate number of culverts and portals in Khazan
of the western foothills but would also be very close to lands to allow free tidal flow of water on either side of the
the Bondla wildlife sanctuary. Such an alignment would embankments. To minimize the disturbance to the
also require acquisition of about 360 hectares of reserve communities in the densely populated areas through
forest land. He further went on to state that such an which the alignment would pass, the committee
alignment did not stand a chance of getting clearance recommended that KRC provide adequate number of
from the Ministry of Environment and Forests. cross passages like over bridges and subways. It also
The environmental activists in Goa, concerned about recommended that the Margao station should be
the impact the railway line may have on Goa's ecology, relocated to avoid further congestion of Margao town.
decided to file a writ petition in court. Veteran environ- The proposal for a midland route was mooted by the
mentalist and Goa Foundation Secretary, Mr Claude dissenting members led by Dr Pai Panandikar, a Goan
Alvares, filed a writ petition before the Goa bench of the and a retired senior civil servant. This group felt that
Bombay High Court in April 1992, on the grounds that a their alignment was feasible in a techno-economic sense
satisfactory EIA had not been done before the KRC and was a short cut for the Roha-Mangalore corridor.
started work. The judges, however, rejected the petition. They stated that the route would not usurp any primeval
forest land and consumed little closed forest cover land.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests received It would not affect the wildlife sanctuaries, avoided all
a large number of representations from various social surface mining areas, estuarine basins, Khazan lands,
action groups and eminent persons of Goa. Mr Kamal and mangroves. The route suggested would open up to
Nath, Minister for Environment and Forests, decided in development midland and ghat talukas through
June 1992 to appoint an expert committee to consider the accelerated settlement growth and at the same time slow
environmental and socio-cultural aspects of the proposed down the growth of coastal taluka settlements.
Konkan Railway alignment for a final decision. The
committee was to consist of 16 members, headed by a KRC Goes to the Media
noted intellectual and environmentalist, Dr Kamla
Chowdhry. However, only 14 members participated For nearly two years since the setting up of KRC and for
(the Railway Ministry and Goa Government refused to nearly a year through the thick of the alignment
participate). The list of members of this committee is controversy, the KRC officials held off from directly
given in Box 2. going to the press. Finally, Mr Sreedharan decided to use
the media to put forth KRC's point of view from May
The expert committee, while deliberating on the 1992. He published various articles in the press
environmental impact of the proposed alignment, could responding to the numerous criticisms on the Konkan
not come to a consensus. The committee split and two Railway project. He placed before the public some facts
separate reports were presented to the Environment in regard to the objections raised. The objections were as
Ministry on October 12,1992. While the chairperson of follows:
the committee, Dr Kamla Chowdhry, backed by eight
1. Passing through thickly populated areas, the railway
members of the committee reaffirmed KRC's coastal
alignment with certain modifications and safeguards,, would uproot thousands of inhabitants who would
five dissenting members proposed a midland route lose their cultivated lands and houses.
which would cause minimal damage to the coastal 2. It would not serve the industrial belts earmarked for
ecology, the Khazan lands, forest cover, archaeological the development of Goa.
heritage, and Goa's social and cultural life. 3. It would destroy Khazan lands.
The various hinterland routes, suggested by different 4. Works were being taken up in a hasty fashion and
people as alternatives to the coastal route, were rejected bridges across Zuari and Mandovi would be unsafe.
by the Kamla Chowdhry committee because the mem- 5. It would destroy a whole civilization built over 3,000
bers felt that they would cut through the ecology of years, lifestyles of the people of Salcete village, and
Western Ghats, cause "three to four times" the the churches and heritage monuments of old Goa.

62 Vikalpa
 According to Mr Sreedharan, the total land to be also getting built up, though they were not as vocal,
acquired for the Konkan Railway in Goa state was 726 presumably because work was somehow progressing.
hectares, out of which paddy fields accounted for 340 During early 1993, the anti-alignment interests
hectares, reserve forest area about 36 hectares, and spearheaded by the Church got very active by lobbying
Khazan lands about 47 hectares. The number of directly with the Central Government. At this stage, in
homesteads affected were just 25. The claim that March 1993, a new twist to the alignment controversy
thousands of people would be uprooted was highly was offered by Dr Madhav Gadgil, who came out in the
exaggerated. Even in Khazan lands, provision of open against KRC, suggesting that the environmental
sufficient waterways had been given to ensure that tidal concerns were not properly addressed. He charged that
cycles were maintained and the land retained its the authorities seemed to have created an impression
characteristics. The reserve forest being acquired was that he had asserted that the KRC alignment was the
over a length of 7.2 km between Balli and Canacona, out "least impact" route, when, in fact, he had done no such
of which 4.5 km would be in tunnels and actual thing.
degradation of forest land would take place over less In an article in the issue of Frontline dated March 26,
than a 3 km corridor. In regard to bridges across the 1993, he wrote,
Zuari and Mandovi, KRC had updated the studies and
formulated the scheme for these bridges in consultation "We were given an already determined alignment
with the State Government, the harbour authorities, and and asked to list the biological communities and
the Ministry of Surface Transport. The talk of lifestyle flora and fauna along that route and do little else.
and civilization built over 3,000 years being destroyed In fact, we were explicitly told not to consider any
was vague and abstract. In short, according to him, none alternative routes. Furthermore, construction along
of the objections raised by the anti-alignment group was parts of the route—for instance, in the Dasgaon-
sustainable. Panaji sector—was already in full swing before we
started out EIA.
In subsequent press releases, KRC argued that a We were asked to stick solely to the route south of
change in alignment would cause significant delays Panaji (and within Goa); even in this section, the
(apart from a Rs 250 crore increase in cost). This would route now being followed is quite different from
affect the development of the Karwar port which was the one that was specified to us. It lias been shifted
crucial for defence purposes. towards the coast south of Margao, resulting in
Another major adverse feature of any hinterland damage to mangroves, for instance, near Maxem.
alignment was that a broad gauge connection to the In the Margao-Panaji sector, we felt that the route
Mormugao port would be longer and expensive. indicated to us was unacceptable in terms of the
expected impact on paddy lands and habitation.
When asked by the case writer as to what proactive We, therefore, exceeded our terms of reference and
efforts KRC took to seek the people's views, Mr proposed an alternative route. In the final RITES
Sreedharan responded, "from the start of the project, we report, this suggestion was deleted. When we
have been in touch with the State Government. They are complained to the RITES authorities, we were told
supposed to represent the local people. In any case, from that it was irrelevant since the KRC authorities had
mid-1991 when we organized open discussion forums, agreed to the alternative route suggested by us.
nobody would turn up—especially from the opponents But field inspection reveals that this is incorrect. It
of the alignment. Then we decided to use the press. Even is true that some of our suggestions, such as for
this has not helped." According to Mr Sreedharan, as far doubling of the current line between Margao and
as KRC was concerned, the alignment question in Goa Majorda, are being implemented, but others are
was a settled issue since it was operating on the State not. For instance, the railway line now passes
Government approved alignment and with the the State through the picturesque Carambolim lake, the
Government's support. abode of thousands of water birds. This was by no
means part of the route suggested by us.
Apparent Change of Stand by Madhav Gadgil Not only has the route shown to us been arbitrarily
Work continued in the KRC alignment in the summer of changed without informing us, but our suggestions
1992 with intermittent disruptions caused by the agitators have not resulted in more careful construction
of KRRAC and various other anti-alignment interest either. In particular, we had requested that the
groups. In the meantime, a pro-alignment lobby was authorities convene a workshop at which we could

Vol. 20, No. 3, July-September 1995 63

 discuss with the engineers our observations on the * To provide viaducts on Dewar island and Zuari
environmental damage and ways to mitigate it. approach wherever the embankment is higher than
We were assured that a workshop would be 10 metres.
organized, but it has failed to materialize.
* The hillock on Dewar isl and damaged by earthwork
Work on the Konkan Railway thus goes on, with should be terraced.
contractors cutting hills, burrowing the earth, fill-
ing up wet lands and recklessly cutting down * Anti-vibration measures should be taken in the
mangroves—all with an eye on profits and with tunnel near the chapel on the hill to prevent any
scant regard for the environment. Peasants' protests damage.
that this would render their paddy-fields saline * Additional waterways should be provided in the
are ignored. If the protest is better organized, an Khazan lands wherever fishing boats have to pass.
attempt is made to examine the matter. One such
was the setting up of a committee headed by * Fencing and boundary wall should be provided
Dr Kamla Chowdhry. All along, we had been where the railway track is passing through settlement
pressured not to publicize our misgivings. We areas. Necessary foot overbridg;e should be provided
wished to put forth our viewpoint at the committee where school children have to cross.
which we believed was the proper forum, but it The current alignment was retained but with the
never called us. Meanwhile, the authorities seem above improvements and an extra expenditure of Rs 18
to be creating the impression that we were crore was to be incurred. (KRC claime d the actual lost to
competent to endorse—and, in fact, did endorse— be Rs. 100 crore including costs due to stoppage of
their actions. We wish to state publicly that this is work.) Soon after, work resumed in the Goa segment of
far from being the case. KRC.
We reiterate that we are not endorsing any one In the meantime, Mr Wilfred D'SouZci came to power
route. But we must state that the thoroughly as the Chief Minister since Mr Ravi Naik's election was
unsatisfactory process of environmental impact held as invalid. It was alleged that Mr D'Souza politicized
assessment (to which we have been a reluctant the anti-KRC movement to come to power. However,
party) cannot be used to justify any particular soon after the Oza committee report and the resumption
route. What is needed is a different, open, of work, both he and the KRRAC became reticent. The
democratic, decentralized process for assessing church also quieted its agitation.
the environmental impact, making appropriate
choices, preparing a detailed environmental The completion date was postponed from October
management plan, and then monitoring the work 1994 to March 1995 to account for the duration of the
to see that the plan is implemented. The ongoing, work stoppage. Further, KRC also distinguished between
hasty, closed process will not speed up the time of introduction of freight services arid passenger
development; it will merely project vested interests, services, the latter requiring more stringent conditions
damage the environment, hurt the poor and divide on the track. The March '95 deadline was for freight
the society." services while passenger services would be introduced
Alerted to the various controversies regarding the from October 1995. The total project cost was revised to
KRC alignment and seeing the situation as an impasse, Rs 2,050 crore including Rs 300 crore as interest charges
the Prime Minister ordered stoppage of KRC work in incurred during the construction stage. Of this, the
Goa on March 26,1993. equity contribution of the Central Government and the
four participating states would be Rs 600 crore.
Justice Oza Commission KRC was expected to pay back loans (of Rs 1450
Subsequent to the Prime Minister's orders, a one-man crore) within ten years of commencement of operation
commission was constituted by the Central through the profits earned from operations.
Government, headed by Justice C J Oza. He started his (As of September 1995, the completion date is
work in June 1993 and submitted his report in expected to be December 95 for freight services and
December 1993. The report was discussed in the March 96 for passenger services. The total project cost
parliament in December 1993 by the Railway has further gone up by Rs 200 crore, financing for which
Minister. The main recommendations of the report is yet to be obtained.)
were:

64 Vikalpa
 Box 1: KRC's Corporate Mission Box 2 : Names of Committee Members
1. To complete the Konkan Railway Project by October Names Pro-alignment,
1994. ( 4)
Dissent
2. The project to be completed without cost overruns
Report (+)
(except for annual inflations).

3. To make it a model project with high technical 1. Dr Kamia Chowdhry (Chairperson} ('•)
standards and quality of construction. 2. Shri Pai Panandiker, Director, Centre for
Policy Research, N.Delhi (+)
KRC's Corporate Culture
3. Dr J.B. Sardesai, Director (ptojects),
1. Total dedication and commitment to the corporate Ecologist, Wildlife Protection Group ( ) ..
mission should be evident in whatever we do and 4. Ms Usha Albuquerque (+)
say.
5. Shri Shyam Chainani, Hon. Secretary,
2. Integrity of our officers and staff should never be in Bombay Environmental Action Group (+)
question. 6. Shri Manohar Shetty, Editor, Goa Today. (•)
3. Punctuality is a virtue and a necessity. Target and 7. Director General, Archaeological Survey
time schedules are sacrosanct to us. of India (")

4. Austerity and economy should be apparent in all 8. Dr. 8 N Desai, Director, National Institute of
our activities.
Oceanography () ..
9. Dr Kesavan Nair, Director, National
5. The organization has to be lean but effective . Transport & Planning Research Institute,
6. We must have a high -profile image for efficiency,
New Delhi (+)
decency and ''we- mean- business." 10. Dr E F N Ribeiro, Director, School of
Planning and Architecture, New Delhi (+)
7. We must maintain excellent public relations. Our
construction activities should not inconvenience the 11. Shri M Parabrahmam, Advisor, Ministry
public. of Environment and Forests (•)
12. Representative of the Ministry of Railways 1
8. All our structures should aesthetically merge with
the beautiful Konkan surroundings. 13. Representative of the State Government of Goa 2
14. Representative of the State Government of
9. Our construction activities should not degrade the
Karnataka (•)
ecology and the environment.
15. Representative of the State Government
10. The welfare of the workforce is our responsibility. of Maharashtra ( ) ..
16. Shri T GeMge Joseph, Joint Secretary,
Ministry of Environment and Forests () ..
1
Did not participate since the Ministry of Railways felt
that "theconuniUeeconsists of persons who are known
to have taken an uncompromising stand against the
present alignment in Goa. H

l
Did not participate since the Government of Goa did
not see any need for yet another committee.

Vol. 20, No.3, July-September 1995 65

 Exhibit 1 :Existing Railway Network near Western Coast

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Vol. 20, No. 3, July-September 1995 Vikalpa

 Exhibit 2 : The Konkan Railway Alignment (Roha-Mangalore)

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Vol. 20, No. 3, July-September 1995 Vikalpa

 Exhibit 3 : The State of Goa

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Vol. 20, No.3, July-September 1995 Vikalpa

 Exhibit 4: The Various Alignments through Goa

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Vol. 20, No.3, July-September 1995 Vikalpa

 Exhibit 5: Land Use Pattern in Goa

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Vol. 20, No.3, July·September 1995 Viladpa