Work on Thane-Diva section caught in a green tangle

Another problem pointed out by the railways is that these villages come under the jurisdiction of the Thane Municipal Corporation and the parts of the land that have to be acquired are reserved under the development plan. The new tunnels between Kalwa and Mumbra,which have to be constructed by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC),may also face problems. MRVC officials said a new tunnel will be constructed adjacent to Nutan tunnel,close to Kalwa station. “The land where belongs to us,but the plots at the entrance and exit of the tunnel are with the forest department. We need the forest clearance there as well,” said the official. The hillock over the tunnel housed actress Nutan’s bungalow facing the Thane creek and Parsik Hills in the background.

“We raised objections on whether necessary permissions were taken by the railways as major portion of the work falls under the Coastal Regulatory Zone area. They are constructing bridges over the creek that made us raise the query,” said Thane Chief Conservator of Forest (Territorial) S A Thorat.

“Environmental clearances are required but not when the railways are involved. According to the Railway Act,the railways is exempted from taking permission when there is no major violation. Had that been the case,the railways would not have been able to construct the Konkan Railway,” said Prakash Rao Vazalwar,Chief Operations Manager,MRVC. “We have prepared a fresh proposal in this case and have submitted it to the state forest department.”

The deadline for the project is December 2014. Encroachment along the tracks is a major challenge. There are also 800 project Affected People who are to be rehabilitated.