Published Date: 29-06-2019

MD NHSRCL Shri Achal Khare:

“For the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, the required wildlife clearance and CRZ clearance have been obtained. Forest clearance has also been granted with certain conditions, wherein the Environment Ministry required a review of the Thane station design to minimize the impact on the mangrove region.

I am happy to share that we carried out this exercise in great detail. Without changing the location of Thane station, we explored various ways to reduce the impact on the mangrove region. The revised design was discussed with Japanese engineers and modified accordingly.

Passenger areas such as parking and passenger handling zones have now been shifted out of the mangrove region. While the station location remains the same, the redesign has significantly reduced the affected mangrove area. Earlier, about 12 hectares of mangroves were to be impacted in Thane, which has now been reduced to only 3 hectares.

As a result, the number of affected mangroves has been reduced by approximately 21,000. Earlier, around 53,000 mangroves were expected to be affected, but now this number has been brought down to 32,044 mangroves.

I would also like to clarify that this does not represent a net loss of mangroves. NHSRCL will compensate for the affected mangroves at a ratio of 1:5 by depositing funds with the Mangrove Cell, which will undertake compensatory afforestation.

Accordingly, for the 32,044 mangroves affected, approximately 1,60,000 new mangroves will be planted. The entire financial cost for this compensatory afforestation will be borne by NHSRCL, and the plantation will be carried out through the Mangrove Cell.”