Palash Kakati
Department of Sociology, Kumaun University, Nanital
E-mail: palashkakati17@gmail.com
Issue: Volume 2 No. 1 (March 2026) Anubodhan
Received: 26 March 2026 / Accepted: 29 March 2026 / Published: 31 March 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n1.2026.038
Abstract
This paper examines socio-economic effects of the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Railway Project (RKRP) on the local society in the Garhwal region and specifically on two sample villages (Melatha (Agricultural dependent Village) and Dungripanth (tunnelling/Blasting Alignment Village)) based on the land acquisition and construction project. The study shows that there are possible positive issues (enhanced connection, job prospects in future, and boosts tourism) and negative issues (agricultural land loss, livelihoods damage, and environmental and structural effects). The results reveal that on the one hand, the railway is long-term in its perspectives; on the other hand, short- and long-term negative impacts, in particular, those that affect agrarian households, are severe. The paper proposes strong compensation, livelihoods reconstruction, and participatory plans in order to achieve equal benefits and sustainable development.
Keywords: Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Railway Project, socio-economic impact, land acquisition, rural communities, compensation, environmental degradation, agriculture, tourism
How to cite: Kakati, P. (2026). Socio-Economic Impacts of the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag Railway Project in the Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand. Anubodhan, 2(1), 399–413. https://doi.org/10.65885/anubodhan.v2n1.2026.038