Sir, While the pros of widening NH-275 and newer Railway lines across the Western Ghat are known only to NHAI and Indian Railways (and probably to the interested politicians and contractors), the cons are known to every citizen of West Coast, Kodagu, Malenadu and people depending on the waters of Cauvery, Krishna and Godavari rivers, and innumerable rivers flowing towards the Arabian Sea (that is, in effect the entire population of South India). In other words, the ecological damage in terms of shortage of rainfall and climate change by building more roads or newer Railway lines will be catastrophic. And yet NHAI is bent upon going ahead with the project spending thousands of crores of rupees. Why don’t they learn from autobahns around Black Forest in Germany? (See photo).
