Part 11/16:
Beyond financial woes, the project’s environmental and social costs have left deep scars. Rushed environmental impact assessments and disregard for ecological safeguards led to irreversible damage. Underground aquifers vital for local water supplies were destroyed by blasting, leading to water shortages and housing collapses. Landslides, flooding, and environmental degradation became endemic along the route.
Residents living along the railway frequently reported noise pollution from the elevated viaducts—shattering the idyllic promise of modernity. The noise levels, well above safe thresholds, and the displacement caused by construction, turned the project from a symbol of progress into a cause of frustration and resentment among local communities.