People of Coorg Protest Proposed Railway Lines Through District

The proposed railway lines linking Mysuru with Mangaluru and Thalassery would lead to over 2,00,000 trees being cut.

Protesters at the Dasara Exhibition Grounds in Mysuru. 

(Photo courtesy: Save Kodagu Campaign)

Nearly 10,000 people representing the Coorg (Kodagu) district in south Karnataka staged a protest in Mysuru on Sunday, against the proposed railway lines through the hill district, that would potentially lead to large-scale deforestation in the environmentally-sensitive region.

Estimates from the Coorg Wildlife Society say that nearly 2,00,000 trees would have to be felled for the two proposed rail routes connecting Mysuru in Karnataka with Mangaluru, going via Madikeri in Coorg, and a second line running to Thalassery in Kerala. However, the proposal has not been cleared by the Centre yet.

People from Coorg protest the proposed railway line(Photo courtesy: KM Appaiah) 

This protest was held just a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to flag off two new train services from Mysuru. Representatives from the Coorg delegation are seeking an audience with the prime minister to brief him about this environmentally sensitive issue as well.

Protesters hold a peaceful rally in Mysuru on 18 February 2018(Photo courtesy: KM Appaiah)

Support for the protest rally has been largely apolitical, where people of Coorg from different political parties are taking part in this protest rally for a common cause.

Coorg, or Kodagu, a hill district located in the Western Ghats, is also where river Cauvery originates. The region gets heavy rainfall during the Southwest Monsoon, feeding the Cauvery river catchment areas.

Coorg is known for its coffee and pepper plantations, in addition to its abundance of flora and fauna.(Photo: The Quint)

Kodagu has a population of barely five lakh people, and sees nearly 20 lakh tourists annually. This is not sustainable. This project has been undertaken to cater to the tourism industry. Coorg is the main catchment for the Cauvery river, which is the lifeline for eight crore people in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. 

Col (Retd) CP Muthanna, Coorg Wildlife Society

Coorg is mainly connected by road and is a popular tourist destination. The Karnataka government had sent a proposal to the Centre a few years ago to build a railway line, saying it would aid tourism. However, Kodavas (people of Coorg are known as Kodavas) do not want excess tourism, as it is taking its toll on the region's resources already.

Nearly 10,000 people attended the protest rally in Mysuru. (Photo courtesy: Save Kodagu Campaign)

In 2017, a high-tension electric line project that passed through Coorg, all the way to Kerala, led to the cutting of nearly 60,000 trees. Environmentalists say that the impact has already been seen in 2018, with lower rainfall, and rivers like the Lakshmana Teertha, a tributary of the Cauvery, flowing below normal levels.

Signatures on a resolution protesting the proposed railway line. (Photo courtesy: Save Kodagu Campaign)

The protesters also plan to meet railway minister Piyush Goyal, seeking a permanent stop to the proposed railway project.

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