The old narrow gauge railway line alignment abutting the southern boundary of the GBM Sanctuary was converted to a broad gauge railway line in 1996. This line connects Vijayawada to Guntakal, and the rail alignment runs almost parallel to the road. The construction of this broad gauge railway line assumes greater significance than the strengthening of the existing NGT road in terms of its visible impact upon the conservation values of the GBM Sanctuary and the adjoining reserve forests. The ecological degradation resulting from this gauge conversion, both during and after construction, is still evident in the form of large clear-felled areas, unreclaimed and unsafe burrow pits and deposits, eroding and unprotected hill slopes, deposits of impervious overburden all along the slopes of the track (Plate 4), and barriers to animal movement imposed by very few underpasses connected by long stretches of above-grade track beds. In relation to the rail project, the proposed road improvement activities, limited to within the existing RoW, are barely measurable.

The project will not result in any modification or spatial loss of wildlife habitats on either side of the existing road alignment, since there is no need to acquire any land in the reserve forests. No change in the habitat integrity by way of creation of openings or clearings should occur so long as road construction is carried out as described in the IEE and Feasibility Study (Kirloskar 1997). Tiger and leopard habitat will not be affected. Since no widening is being proposed in the 24 km section through the forest, no trees will be cut. Clearing will be restricted to the removal of shrubs etc. from the road edges and the trimming of branches of trees overhanging the carriageway.