Infrastructure projects impacting elephant movement on Coonoor ghat section
The Hindu
A few days ago, a herd of elephants visited the Hillgrove railway station near Coonoor in search of water. Quickly discovering that their traditional pathway out of the station was blocked by a huge r
A few days ago, a herd of elephants visited the Hillgrove railway station near Coonoor in search of water. Quickly discovering that their traditional pathway out of the station was blocked by a huge retaining wall, the matriarch led the herd up the Coonoor ghat along the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) line.
A recent spate of public infrastructure projects along the ghat section, including work at the railway station and massive expansion of the National Highway between Kallar and Coonoor has disturbed traditional pathways used by elephants to ascend the Coonoor ghat from Kallar. Both the Southern Railway as well as the National Highways wing of the State Highways Department have been equally responsible lately of completely disregarding elephant pathways in their plans to expand existing infrastructure, conservationists from the Nilgiris said.
Everyone talks about the Airport Metro, but one look at the pillars and completion seems nowhere in sight. Meanwhile, a faster, cheaper, roomier alternative called the Suburban Rail Airport Corridor is finally getting off the drawing board. This dedicated corridor with its specialised coaches will link the airport to vast stretches of Bengaluru, where the metro connection is still years away.