In 2016, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar proposed a plan to upgrade the Akola-Khandwa railway line passing through Melghat Tiger Reserve. The Indian Railways finalised the upgradation of 174 kilometres of the Akola- Khandwa railway meter gauge section at an estimated cost of Rs 1,454 crore, which was later revised to Rs 2,000 crore in 2019. Of the total gauge line between Akola in Maharashtra and Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, 39 kilometres pass through the core and buffer zones of Melghat Tiger Reserve in Amravati district.
In December 2017, the environment ministry asked the railways to apply for forest clearance saying "they would need to apply for forest clearance even if they owned the land, since fresh forestland was to be diverted".
The project soon came under the scanner of environmentalists and activists, who criticised the project for its ignorance and negligence to the tiger reserve. In 2018, a Nagpur citizen filed a petition against the project. He contended that the tiger reserve provides a passage to tigers to pass to other habitats, and if a broad-gauge conversion was allowed, it would risk the animals being run over by trains. He also pointed out that the converted railway line, which would pass through the buffer zone, would be a violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act and Wild Life Protection Act and, therefore, the project should be declared “illegal”. The National Tiger Conservation Authority published a report in which it had advised the Indian Railways to look for an alternative route for the line. But the report mentioned that the Railways was not keen to construct an alternate route as it would be longer and would lead to an additional cost of Rs 556 crore.
In late 2018, the approval for the project was challenged before a Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court, which asked the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) to review the project’s clearance given its impact on a tiger reserve.
In February 2019, it was reported that activists claimed victory after the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife rejected the proposal to upgrade the meter gauge. The NBWL is the highest decision-making body of the environment ministry on projects related to national parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves.
In July 2019, the state government put the project on hold following its rejection by the NBWL. However, the Railways have reportedly cited that the meter gauge line has existed inside the tiger reserve since before 1980 and should not need additional forest clearance for other projects.
Based on a report in June 2020, the railway line from Akola to Akot station has been constructed. Currently, the railway ministry is awaiting the approval of the Supreme Court and the environment ministry.
In August 2024, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s (MoEFCC) Regional Empowered Committee approved upgrading the Akola-Khandwa railway line from meter gauge to broad gauge with a new alignment. Initially planned to pass through the Melghat Tiger Reserve, the project now features a [revised route](https://indianinfrastructure.com/2024/08/07/moefcc-approves-new-alignment-of-akola-khandwa-rail-section-in-madhya-pradesh-maharashtra/#:~:text=Madhya Pradesh%2C Maharashtra-,MoEFCC approves new alignment of Akola-Khandwa,section in Madhya Pradesh%2C Maharashtra&text=The Ministry of Environment%2C Forest,investment of Rs 62.03 billion.) traversing Akot, Hiwarkhed, Sonala, Jalgaon Jamod, and Usami, requiring the construction of an additional 30 km of track, including a 7 km long tunnel. This realignment impacts compartment numbers 625, 627, and 453 in the territorial forest of Buldhana, necessitating the felling of over 8,000 trees and affecting wildlife habitats of species like tigers, leopards, and nilgai.
Responding to a Lok Sabha query on 26.07.2023, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the Akola-Khandwa Gauge Conversion project is estimated to cost Rs 6,383 crore as of July 2023, with Rs 2,791 crore already been spent. The revised alignment aims to minimize ecological disruption while ensuring the strategic development of railway infrastructure in the region.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
2020
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Yes
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Other environmental services
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
2000
Type of investment:
Revised Investment
Year of Estimation
2016
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Other
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Yes
Name of the adjudicatory body
National Board of Wildlife
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Supreme Court of India
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
State Board for Wildlife
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
South Central Railway (SCR) - Indian Railways
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
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