‘My car stands like a prisoner’: In Goa village, a railway line cuts off homes

In the village of Velsao, a 400-year-old heritage house stands facing a railway track, leaving its 51-year-old resident, Sandra Rodrigues, feeling 'land-locked'. The ongoing double-tracking project, which began in the late 19th century, has left her ancestral home inaccessible. The construction of a second rail line has dumped mud, soil and debris near her house, blocking her traditional access road and obstructing emergency services' ability to reach her.

Rodrigues is forced to trespass on a neighbor's property to leave her house, while her car stands like a prisoner in her compound. The project has sparked outrage among residents who claim their property rights and health are being disregarded. Environmentalists argue that the project will facilitate coal transportation from Mormugao Port in Goa to Karnataka, threatening the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats.

Despite protests, the double-tracking project continues, with seven coal-frequenting goods trains passing through Velsao daily, covering houses in dust.