The Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has modified its objections to the 9.46-km underground rail tunnel that would link the Vizhinjam International Seaport to the Southern Railway network. The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the MoEF&CC had previously considered the rail line’s shift from above to below ground as a significant change in project design, requiring a new Environment Clearance (EC). The EAC had denied Vizhinjam International Seaport Limited’s (VISL) request for a mere amendment to the already secured 2014 EC for the Vizhinjam project. The EAC insisted that the change in design had altered the ‘scope of the project,’ necessitating a fresh EC application from VISL.
The EAC had requested several clarifications from VISL on the underground rail project, including flood risk, vibration impact, rainfall intensity, coastal regulation zone (CRZ) implications, and hydrogeological conditions. Additionally, the EAC had indicated that the proposed underground tunnel area was a seismic zone, citing the highly undulating topography in the sedimentary and crystalline outcrops. The minutes from the September 15, 2022, meeting stated, ‘indicating the presence of large-scale tectonic deformation took place in the geologic past.’
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