Bengaluru: After much persuasion, CM Siddaramaiah seems to have given his nod to conduct detailed survey of Nilambur-Sulthan Bathery-Nanjangud rail line, after a meeting with E. Sreedharan, Principal Advisor, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Friday.
Sreedharan had suggested underground rail in eco-sensitive areas in the Western Ghats. The meeting was held at the Chief Minister’s office in Vidhana Soudha just ahead of a Cabinet meeting. A senior bureaucrat of forest department told DC that the biggest opposition was from forest and ecology department of all three states - Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka - as this route passes through core forest area.
“Sreedharan did persuade that with the advancement of tunnel boring technology, entire project could carried out in underground, hence, at least the state government must give permission to carry out detailed project report, which was assigned to the DMRC by the Railways,” the source disclosed.
Quoting Sreedharan, the source added that the project would not raise any ecological concerns as the railway line passes through underground tunnels in forest areas of Kerala and Karnataka.“This is a promising and profitable project once it materialises,” the source said.
