With the prospects of two rail projects—Nilambur-Nanjangud and Thalassery-Wayanad-Mysuru—aimed at bringing rail connectivity to Wayanad district getting dimmer, the Ministry of Railways is looking at a fresh proposal for a railway line from Koyilandy in Kozhikode district via Kalpetta to Kadakola, a suburb of Mysuru.
Top sources told The Hindu that the proposal was to establish a 190-km rail network starting from Koyilandy and linking Peramba, Mullankunnu, Niravilpuzha, Tharuvana, Kalpetta, Meenangadi, Pulpally, Krishnarajapura, H.D. Kote, Hampapura, Badiragoodu, and culminating at the existing Kadakola station. This was the only viable proposal for rail connectivity between Wayanad and Mysuru districts without disturbing wildlife habitats much, the sources said.
If the proposed rail line comes to fruition, the distance from Kozhikode to Mysuru will be considerably reduced by 230 kms as against the existing distance of 715 kms via Bengaluru and 507 kms via Mangaluru. Besides, after the completion of the proposed Thirunavaya-Guruvayoor rail line, which has already been approved by the Railway Board, the rail route from Bengaluru via Mysuru, Kozhikode, Guruvayur, Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram will be the shortest route linking Kerala to Karnataka.
The new routes would reduce the travel distance from Bengaluru to Thiruvananthapuram by almost 120 kms and from Mysuru to Thiruvananthapuram by about 330 kms, thus benefiting travellers from south Kerala also, the sources said.
Regarding environmental clearance, the sources said the procedures included the consent of Kerala and Karnataka Forest departments, State Wildlife Boards, National Wildlife Board, National Tiger Conservation Authority, Central Empowered Committee, and finally the Supreme Court. Only then, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) could approve the project, the sources said.
Incidentally, the Karnataka government, citing ecologically concerns, has not entertained the two main projects of Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL), the special purpose vehicle set up for - Nilambur-Nanjangud and Thalassery-Wayanad-Mysuru projects.
Retired IFS officer and former consultant ( environment) of KRDCL, O. Jayarajan said rail connectivity to Wayanad remained a contentious issue over the last four decades after the promulgation of Forest Conservation Act. The district, one of the most backward in India, has been cordoned by Protected Areas and Reserve Forests. These included Nagerhole, Bandipur,Wayanad, Mudumalai, New Amarambalam, Nilambur, Kuttiyadi, Kannavam, Kottiyur, Aralam, Malabar, and Bramhagiri forest tracts.
Further, the MoEFCC had identified about 11 elephant corridors around Wayanad to achieve continuity of movements for wild animals, leaving the district literally isolated from rest of the populated areas of the three States including Tamil Nadu, Mr. Jayarajan, said, adding that the people were deprived of basic human rights without rail or road development in the hill region.
