Environment
Railways shelves 40-km Uri to Baramulla line
The Indian Express··27 Sept
Indian Railways has shelved the proposed 40-kilometer Baramulla-Uri new line after ecological concerns, Indian Express reported. A Railways Board note said Cabinet Secretariat returned that project and the 74-kilometer Qazigund-Srinagar-Budgam doubling. Both are no longer under consideration for now. Baramulla MLA Javid Hassan Baig said the alignment would cut through town and fragile highland areas.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Uri stays without the planned rail extension from Baramulla toward the Line of Control.
- Farmers' protests earlier led the rail ministry to hold Anantnag-Pahalgam and Anantnag-Shopian links.
- Baig said Baramulla cannot afford a corridor that compromises heritage, environment and land resources.
What's Happening
- Joint Director Works, Railways Board, wrote that the two Northern Railway projects were returned by Cabinet Secretariat.
- The Uri line was planned as an extension of the Udhampur-Baramulla route.
- The report said the corridor would traverse orchards and mountains in high-seismic zone 5.
Why locals opposed the alignment
- Baig submitted an Assembly resolution seeking geological, geotechnical and seismic assessment before finalisation.
- The resolution sought study of slope stability, liquefaction potential and landslide susceptibility.
- The shelving comes six months after the Anantnag branch-line holds.
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