AHMEDABAD: The state forest department is looking at the option to set up elevated railway lines passing through Gir Wildlife Sanctuary that is home to the last surviving population of Asiatic Lions. The proposal comes after the Indian Railways submitted in the Gujarat high court recently that it has shelved plans to upgrade the existing railway tracks in the sanctuary.
The proposed project is on the lines of Pench Tiger Reserve running between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra where an elevated stretch helps protect animals around National Highway 44, said a senior forest department official.
Last counted, Gujarat has 674 lions in 2020. The project to elevate the 14-km long railway line from Sasan to Kachiya cutting through the heart of the Gir sanctuary is at a nascent stage. The state forest department has held initial level talks with the Indian Railways, the official said.
