Southern Railway GM orders additional tracks at Mangaluru Central for smoother operations
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Mangaluru: Southern Railway General Manager R.N. Singh has directed officials to make provisions for additional railway tracks at Mangaluru Central station to handle future growth in train traffic and ensure smoother operations.
During an inspection on Thursday, Singh reviewed the progress of several station redevelopment and infrastructure projects under the Palakkad division. According to a report by The Hindu, both Kozhikode and Mangaluru Central are being upgraded as world-class stations, while Kannur, Kasaragod, Mangaluru Junction, and Shoranur Junction are being developed under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme to improve passenger amenities and infrastructure.
The inspection began at Kozhikode, where redevelopment work worth Rs 472.96 crore is progressing rapidly. Singh instructed officials to complete the project within the scheduled timeline. He then conducted a sectional inspection from Kozhikode to Mangaluru Junction, assessing track conditions, bridges, signalling systems, and passenger facilities along the route.
At Vadakara, Singh directed officials to examine the feasibility of setting up a new parking facility near the second entrance to enhance passenger convenience. At Kannur station, where redevelopment work is underway at a cost of Rs 35.63 crore, he recommended design modifications in the circulation area to improve passenger movement and station layout.
Officials informed Singh that 75% of the Rs 32.69 crore redevelopment work at Kasaragod station has been completed, while 97% of the Rs 19.62 crore project at Mangaluru Junction is nearing completion, added the report.
The GM was accompanied by Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager Madhukar Roat, Additional DRM S. Jayakrishnan, and other senior railway officials during the inspection.
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Illegal sand mining has created environmental crisis in National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary: SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday said rampant illegal riverbed sand mining has created an "environmental crisis" and wreaked "havoc" in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, causing a grave risk to the gharial (long-snouted crocodile) preservation project.
Slamming the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for their utter failure in dealing with the issue, the apex court directed them to install high-resolution Wi-Fi-enabled CCTV cameras along all routes frequently used for illegal sand mining in the area.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta directed that live feed of such surveillance cameras shall be placed under the direct control, supervision and operational oversight of the superintendent of police or the senior superintendent of police of the concerned district and the divisional forest officer.
It said these officers shall ensure continuous and effective monitoring of the CCTV feeds by designating appropriate officers.
"It can't be gainsaid that the issues involved are of great concern in as much as the rampant illegal mining activities in the river bed have created an environmental crisis and havoc in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary causing a grave risk to the very project of gharial preservation of which the state governments themselves were proponents and were under an obligation to foster and promote," Justice Mehta said while pronouncing the order.
The bench directed the authorities in these three states to initiate prompt and necessary action under law if any instance of illegal mining or allied activities comes to light.
It said the authorities shall ensure seizure of vehicles or machinery found involved in illegal sand mining and also initiate prosecution of persons involved in it.
The bench, which passed several other directions, posted the matter for hearing on May 11.
The top court passed the order in a suo motu case titled 'In Re: Illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and threat to endangered aquatic wildlife'.
The National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 5,400-sq km tri-state protected area.
Besides the endangered gharial, it is home to the red-crowned roof turtle and the endangered Ganges river Dolphin.
Located on the Chambal river near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the sanctuary was first declared a protected area in Madhya Pradesh in 1978 and now constitutes a long and narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states.
On March 13, the top court took suo motu cognisance of news reports about rampant illegal sand mining on the banks of the Chambal river.
