Kannur(Kerala): The Thalassery-Mysore (Kerala-Karnataka) railway project which was halted due to various reasons has once again started to grab headlines after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met PM Modi and discussed the project among other issues. The journey from Malabar (Northern districts) to Bangaluru via Mysore is always a challenging one with road traffic disruptions, which is a part of their miserable journey. It is in this scenario that a proposal for a new Railway line took off. Even the former Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri hailed the project, which was however delayed following various environmental concerns as the project would cut through the forests.
The ambitious project identified by Kerala State Government costs more than Rs. 5,000 crore and it has entrusted it to Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL). There was stiff opposition to the project in Karnataka as the forest officials reasoned that the project will destroy the rich biodiversity of South Kodagu as the Railway line will pass through the lush green areas of Nagarahole National Park and Tiger Reserve, Kutta, Kanoor, Balele, Thithimathi before entering Mysuru. Following the environmental concerns, the Kerala Government proposed an alternative route that has Thalassery in Kerala and Kadakola in Karnataka near Mysuru as starting and ending points and the route is via Sultan Batheri from Thalassery to Kadakola that does not cut through forests.
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Now, to bypass the environmental regulations, 11.5 km of the track will be taken through a tunnel under the river, according to the new plan. If the Kerala Rail Development Corporation's project gets the approval of the Karnataka government, it will fulfil the dream of people living in both the states of Karnataka and Kerala. It will certainly benefit lakhs of students and employees of Kerala and Karnataka and will lead to the promotion of tourism also.
