Indian Rail steps forward to get closer to Sino Indian border
After decades long wait, finally Indian Himalayan state Sikkim is getting into Indian railway network. In addition to fulfilling aspiration of local people, the link will facilitate faster military movement towards Sino Indian border that the Himalayan state hosts.
After going through a long list of official clearances from state as well as centre, the project has also received NOC from Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) making the project clear for field work. GTA is a semi-autonomous administrative body for the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills region in West Bengal.
Though officially for Sikkim, the estimated Rs 6,000 crore worth broad gauge track will have only 1 km stretch within the state leaving rest 51.7 km in the hilly Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of Bengal. Eventually, NOC from GTA was needed.
“We have given our NOC after Railway agreed to fulfill our demands including stations in Bengal segment,” said GTA Chairman Binoy Tamang after his recent meeting with Indian railway Top brasses. In reciprocation, North East Frontier Railway Chief Administrative Officer A. Prakash also committed to take best possible care of several public issues including no eviction demand of many forest villages along the alignment.
Happy with the development, Sikkim CM Pawan Chamling said, “It can bring in a sea change in the socio-economy of our state.”
But beside all these, the main importance of the track remains in defense front. It will make things easier for the Indian Army to deploy soldiers and firepower along Sino Indian border in the region. For this, at present army is almost entirely dependent on Sikkim’s single road link NH 10.
Going to be an engineering challenge, this 54 km long track through Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, turbulent river Teesta and Himalayan hills will have 37 major bridges and one underground station. Around 32 km of it will go through 13 tunnels of which the longest one will be of 1800 meters span.
Eventually, it is also in focus of many environmental activist groups. “The heavy construction will tremendously disturb the rich biodiversity and fragile geology of this hilly region,” they said.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.co...o-sino-indian-border/articleshow/63715820.cms