Wildlife, CRZ clearance taken for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project

The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) on Saturday said that the required wildlife, Coastal Region Zone (CRZ) and forest clearance has been taken for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

Speaking to , NHSRCL Managing Director (MD) Achal Khare said, "For Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, the required wildlife and CRZ clearance has been taken, as well as forest clearance had been provided where the Environment Ministry had put one condition that we review the design of Thane station so that the affected Mangrove region can be reduced."

Khare said, "I am happy to share that we carried out this exercise with a lot of detail. That without changing the location of the Thane station, in all ways that we can reduce the affected Mangrove region, and we discussed that design with Japanese engineers and modified it accordingly."

Parking area and passenger handling area has now been moved out of the Mangrove region, Khare said, adding that the location of the station remains the same. "But after redesigning it, we now have only 3 hectare of mangroves affected which was 12 earlier. So in this way, only 32,044 mangroves will get affected by the entire project. Earlier there were around 53,000 mangroves getting affected."

"I would also like to clarify that these are not the net loss of the mangroves, because NHSRCL will get the affected mangroves from the bullet train project compensated at the rate of 1:5, by depositing money into mangroves cell, which will do the compensatory afforestation of the mangroves. If 32,044 mangroves are being cut then around 1,60,000 new mangroves will be planted and the entire financial expense will be borne by NHSRCL," he added.

The country's first bullet train will traverse the 508-km long distance between Ahmedabad and Mumbai in 2 hours and 57 minutes covering 12 stations including the originating and final station. However, stopping at just two stations, the bullet train will take 1 hour and 58 minutes.

The train will have 10 coaches and will be able to seat as many as 750 passengers in one go.

The project is estimated to be completed by 2022

( With inputs from ANI )