Mangaluru: Opposing the resubmission of a proposal for the new Hubballi-Ankola railway line, environmentalists have urged the State Board for Wildlife to reject it.

They have also petitioned Congress president Rahul Gandhi to prevail upon the State government to stop the project.

In his representation to the wildlife board, Bengaluru resident Giridhar Kulkarni noted that several statutory authorities had rejected the new line proposal earlier, including the National Tiger Conservation Authority in March and August last year.

The board is likely to hold a meeting on January 9 to consider the proposal.

The National Board of Wildlife took objection to the State government submitting the proposal bypassing the State board last September and asked the government to approach the latter first.

In this background, the government has resubmitted the proposal to the State board, he said.

Mr. Kulkarni questioned the purpose of the new line saying there is already a broad-gauge line between Hubballi and Goa, which is being doubled.

The new line will be an extra 75 km longer between Hubballi-Ankola via Goa, he said, adding the Railways has already admitted it might not have any passenger potential either.

Uttara Kannada district has lost 13% of forest cover, from 8.29 lakh ha to 7.22 lakh ha in the last three decades. The proposed line also passes through tiger and elephant habitats and no amount of mitigation measures could save these animals, he said.

Over 1.5 lakh trees will be felled for the project, he claimed. Therefore, the State board should reject the re-submitted proposal, Mr. Kulkarni urged.

Meanwhile, S.H. Sahadev of Paschima Ghatta Jaagruti Vedike from Koppa taluk in Chikkamagaluru district, has petitioned Mr. Rahul Gandhi, urging his intervention to save lakhs of trees that would be axed for the project.