Dedicated Freight Corridor -DFC Now On Track

The Bombay High Court (HC) approval of the alignment of the JNPT-Rewari Dedicated Fr

eight Corridor (DFC), including the removal of 543 mangroves in Dahanu Taluka, earlier this week has finally cleared the decks for the project.

Long touted as the railways’s game-changer, it is expected to be in line for a 2019 completion. The last of the nods now required is that of the Dahanu Taluka Environment Protection Authority (DTEPA) for replacement of the 543 mangroves. According to the rules, the DFC will need to plant 10 mangroves for every one that will be removed.

According to DFC officials, the toughest part of the alignment is the JNPT to Dahanu stretch, thanks to the technical difficulties as well as environment challenges, such as the SGNP and mangroves along the Dahanu coast.

With the clearances coming in, officials believe the work on the JNPT-Vaitarna stretch should begin by next year. After the monsoon this year, work on the Vaitarna-Vadodara stretch will begin.

ag Keyword: Bombay High Court , Dedicated Freight Corridor , Dahanu Taluka Environment Protection Authority , Environment Challenges