Affidavit filed by Chhattisgarh East West Railway Limited regarding construction of the rail link between Gevra Road and Pendra road, Chhattisgarh, 15/04/2025
Affidavit filed by Chhattisgarh East West Railway Limited in the matter of Sudiep Shrivastava Vs Union of India & Others dated 15/04/2025.
The appeal was disposed of by the NGT, April 29, 2019. However, the order was challenged before the Supreme Court (SC). The SC, November 26, 2024 disposed of the appeal by restoring the appeal for hearing and consideration of the appellant's submissions regarding an alternative route to the one commencing from Pendra road to Gevra road.
The affidavit was filed on behalf of Chhattisgarh East West Railway Limited and IRCON International Ltd. The matter related to establishing the framework for construction of new BG Electrified Double Line Chhattisgarh over South East Central Railways East-West Corridor-Gevra Road, Pendra Road via Dipka, Kathghora, Sendurgarh and Pasan.
The rail link between Gevra Road and Pendra road aims to address the lack of transport infrastructure in Northern Chhattisgarh and facilitate the rising coal movement from the Korba region. With increasing coal demand, particularly for power plants in north-west and central India, the existing route via Gevra Road and the Champa branch line is becoming inadequate.
The NGT, April 29, 2019 said that sufficient care had been taken to consider all aspects requiring for issuing clearance under section 2 of the FCA for the diversion of 459.522 ha of forest land in Bilaspur and Korba district, in which all the necessary permissions were granted by the MoEF namely Stage I, Stage II and Section 2 of the FCA.
The current status is that the construction of the railway line from Pendra Road to Gevra Road is progressing steadily as per the approved timeline. As of January 2025, more than 90 per cent of earthwork and structural works have been completed or are in the final stages. The project is being implemented with a focus on efficiency and minimal environmental disruption, ensuring seamless coal transportation from the Korba region.
Furthermore, despite challenges such as land acquisition, environmental clearances, and unforeseen regulatory hurdles, the project remains on track for completion by December 2025. The report stated that the project has seen significant investments, with an expenditure of INR 4,304.72 Crore incurred as of January 2025. The initial project cost of INR 4,970.11 crore has escalated to INR 7,448.52 crore due to factors such as wildlife mitigation measures and regulatory requirements.
The report said that an alternate route is not feasible. The alternative Champa-Bilaspur route has been thoroughly assessed and deemed impractical due to severe congestion at Bilaspur Yard. The yard is a critical railway junction already handling heavy traffic from industrial hubs such as Jharsuguda, Raigarh, and Korba.
Likewise, the Bilaspur-Anuppur route remains unsuitable due to persistent congestion.
The report submitted that shifting to an alternative route would have severe implications. The East-West Rail Corridor is a bank-funded project promoted by the Government of Chhattisgarh, IRCON, and SECL. Any change in alignment at this stage would result in significant cost overruns, further delaying the project's completion. The project cost has already escalated from INR 4,970.11 crore to INR 7,448.52 crore due to external factors, and altering the alignment would only exacerbate the financial burden on the exchequer.
After careful assessment, the current alignment was selected as the most viable option due to its minimal impact on forest land and significantly lower environmental risks. Any deviation from this approved alignment would necessitate fresh environmental clearances, leading to prolonged delays in project execution and increased regulatory hurdles.