The authorities have decided to repair the service roads along the entire stretch of the Vallarpadam Container Terminal passing through the Cheranellore and Kadamakudy panchayats.
The work will be undertaken under the guidance of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). The decision was taken at the meeting convened by the District Collector.
“All the service roads will be repaired by the agencies responsible for the damage. This could be the Gas Authority of India which laid the pipes in the area or other agencies which undertook work on the roads. The NHAI will be responsible for monitoring the project. The work would be completed by December,” said District Collector P I Sheikh Pareeth.
The service roads that connect the ICTT facility with the NH-47 have always been a source of controversy.
According to the locals, even a year after the main container road was opened, the service roads remain incomplete or damaged owing to low quality of construction. This was compounded after the pipe-laying work for the Petronet’s LNG Terminal was shifted to the Container Road following protests in the Njarackal region where the pipe actually had to pass through. This work further damaged the roads. However, at the meeting it was decided that the roads damaged due to pipe laying would be repaired by GAIL.
Another issue that was taken up at the meet was the repair of houses along the Container Terminal Road that had suffered damage owing to work. It was decided that the panchayat would provide a list of 15 or so houses near the Vallarpadam Terminal Road which suffered damage. The construction company, Soma constructions, was entrusted with the work.
But, the panchayat members say that the number of houses that suffered damage exceeds 15. “A total of 70 beneficiaries have asked for compensation. Some of them have even gone to the court. Since the company has agreed only for 15, we have no option but to make a list of the 15 beneficiaries. The rest might go to court,” said the president of Cheranellore panchayat K K Suresh Babu.The meeting included officials from the GAIL, Soma Constructions, MLA Hibi Eden and members of the panchayat.