Wildlife Board Approves Rail Project Linking Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra Through Tiger Corridor

A proposed third railway line running through the Satpura-Melghat tiger corridor in central India has received in-principle wildlife clearance from the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL). The project consists of a 160.6-km rail stretch between Jujharpur in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul district and Chichonda in Narmadapuram district, which forms a part of the larger Itarsi-Nagpur rail expansion. Scroll down to know more.

Satpura-Melghat Tiger Corridor Gets Approval

As per a report by the Indian Express, the proposed route passes through two approved tiger corridors and an eco-sensitive zone in the Satpura-Melghat forest, which connects the Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh with the Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra. These paths play an important role in allowing tigers, leopards, sloth bears, herbivores and other wildlife to move between forests, which ensures genetic diversity and healthy wildlife populations.

The project calls for 206.09 hectares of land, including 74.69 hectares of forest land and 131.4 hectares of non-forest land, within the approved tiger corridor. The animal welfare panel agreed to the proposal subject to strict conditions. It directed that wildlife protection structures, including 34 proposed animal overpasses, must go through a detailed scientific assessment before construction begins.

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Wildlife Safeguards & Further Review Awaits

A joint inspection conducted by officials from the Railways, the Union Environment Ministry, the Wildlife Institute of India and the National Tiger Conservation Authority revealed that the current locations of the overpasses were based largely on forest staff inputs and wildlife mortality records rather than comprehensive scientific studies.

The committee observed that detailed engineering designs and landscape-level mitigation plans are still pending. It also pointed out that the expansion may eventually include a fourth railway line, making robust wildlife protection measures even more important.

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The SC-NBWL has instructed the inspection committee to revisit the project after reviewing the scientific study and submit final recommendations on the location, dimensions and connectivity of the wildlife mitigation structures before the project moves ahead.

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