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Environment Minister Kęstutis Mažeika was waiting for the meeting with Klaipeda residents in the Giruliai forest. However, the minister, who visited the coast on Thursday, did not attend the meeting. Instead, Deputy Minister Marius Narmontas and Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Gytis Mažeika came to Giruliai.
Photo of Julius Kalinskas / 15min / railway in Giruliai.
Crossing the forest will not allow
Residents assured that the government’s attempts ensured that all alternatives to the development of the railway to the village of Kopūstai in the Klaipėda district would be considered, and that they were not working. They want the Giruliai forest alternative not to be considered at all.
“The most important thing is that you keep your attention on this subject and always be interested in what the Government, the Ministry of Transport and Communications is doing on this subject. And we will make those actions public, because we really know how to follow the documents they are preparing. And it will be your job, people, not only to react, but also explain to your neighbor so that we can stop in time. Another thing, all the politicians you know, local members or Seimas, in the next elections for everyone as a matter of front: will you eliminate Girulius from the railway plans, “Gintaras Ramašauskas, president of the Board of the Association, told the audience of Communities of Klaipeda.
Julius Kalinskas photo / 15min / Amber Ramašauskas
Klaipeda residents openly stated that they did not believe and that they were supposedly independent environmental impact assessors. The history with the outer harbor at Melnrage and Būtingė is disappointing. “Allow them to do what they want in their roles, but we will not allow it,” G. Ramašauskas was categorical.
Deputy Minister G.Mažeika assured that freight trains will be lifted from the city center. According to recent statistics, rail freight from the port is growing. They want to organize their trip in a way that avoids the city center.
The development of railway infrastructure in Klaipeda is necessary to lift almost all the load from the city’s central station by 2030. Project organizers claim that lifting load from Klaipeda’s central station would reduce noise and air pollution in the city.
However, the rebellious residents of Klaipeda estimate that the expansion of the Pauostis road would cost some 30 hectares of deforestation. For comparison, the area of the old city of Klaipeda is approximately 35 ha.
How to escape – the park
On Wednesday, the Government amended the draft resolution and named the territories of the Klaipeda district as possible railway development zones.
At the Government meeting, the Minister of Transport and Communications, Jaroslav Narkevičius, argued that previously the alternative to the expansion of the railway crossing in the village of Kopūstai had not been included in the resolution on “technical additions”.
“This issue arises a second time, it was adopted at the last meeting, but due to technical additions, no sentence was added, which expands the area to be considered for the expansion of the rail crossing – Cabbage Village,” BNS quoted the Minister.
The expansion of the railroad crossing was necessary to fulfill the commitment to eliminate industrial trains from the city center.
Previously, it was planned to expand the train crossing in the town of Cabbage.
However, this spring the residents were alarmed to see the decisions to widen the Pauostis road near Giruliai and therefore cut dozens of hectares of forest.
Deputy Transport Minister G.Mažeika, who arrived in the port city, assured angry Klaipėda residents that all alternatives will be evaluated in the section of the village of Kopūstai in the Klaipėda district, via the Pauostis road to the viaduct. railway on Liepų street in Klaipėda, and in the section of the Rimkai railway station.
Julius Kalinskas / 15min photo / Meeting of residents with government representatives
The municipality of Klaipėda city also expressed its opposition to the expansion of the railway line in Giruliai. The idea of creating a Giruliai regional park is being considered as a means of preserving the forest.
Deputy Environment Minister M. Narmont doubted whether the desire to suddenly create a regional park would be reasonable.
Last week, 17 Seimas members, who worked mainly in the opposition, registered a draft resolution calling for the government’s decision to exclude the development of the Pauostis highway and include the Col Village as the main alternative.
The representatives of Lietuvos Geležinkeliai previously told BNS that it is too early to speak about deforestation in Giruliai, first of all it is necessary to choose the place where the railway center of the port city will be erected.
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