The 21-km stretch of the Matheran Light Railway, which has been on the UNESCO tentative list since 2014, has been nominated for this year’s UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize, a report stated in this paper. Central Railway officials are justifiably elated and said they would make every attempt to revive the line post this monsoon.

The prestigious award was established in 1995 and is given to outstanding examples of actions to safeguard and enhance the world’s cultural landscapes, a category of World Heritage, the report stated. This is definitely a moment to relish and cherish.  There is a twist to worry about though. The heritage line has been closed due to unsafe conditions post 2019 monsoon, after the tracks were washed away at 21 locations.