Source: https://www.financialexpress.com/infrastructure/railways/rishikesh-karnprayag-rail-line-record-for-indian-railways-1012-meter-natm-tunneling-completed-in-26-days/2497707/
Publisher: Financial Express
Rishikesh-Karnprayag Railway Line Update: Indian Railways sees new record in the development of Rishikesh – Karnprayag Rail Line Project! According to Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the development work of the Rishikesh – Karnprayag railway line under RVNL package 2 has seen a new achievement. The Larsen & Turbo (L&T) team has created a new record by completing 1,012-meter NATM (New Austrian tunnelling method) tunnelling between Shivpuri to Beast in just a span of 26 days. This tunnelling record has been achieved by the team of L&T despite difficult geographical conditions.
Earlier this month, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha informed that the ambitious Rishikesh – Karanprayag new rail line project was sanctioned in the Railway Budget of 2010-11. The Anticipated cost of the Rishikesh – Karanprayag new rail line project is Rs 16,216 crore, out of which Rs 6,618 crore expenditure has been incurred. In the financial year 2021-22, an outlay of Rs 4,200 crore has been allocated. The 5.7 km long section from Yog Nagri Rishikesh to Virbhadra has been commissioned in March 2020. According to the minister, beyond km 6.0, the alignment is in tunnels mostly. Development works at all tunnels as well as major bridges have been taken up.
The process of land acquisition, as well as forest clearance in the entire project, has been completed. The Union Minister also said that ‘No Objection Certificates’ have been received from all the Gram Sabhas located along the rail line as prescribed in the Forest Right Act, 2006 guidelines of the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change. The schemes for the compensation as well as rehabilitation of the affected families have been provided as per the provisions given in three Schedules of the RFCTLARR act 2013, the Railway Minister further added.
