KOCHI: For the nth time, the town and country planning department revised the proposal to develop the Panampilly Nagar-Karimughal Road in a move which has heightened the concerns of residents.The proposal to build the 30m-wide road from Panampilly Nagar to Petta via Kannadikkadu and NH-66 near Vyttila Junction was made in the early 1990s. The government approved its structural plan in 2007, which effectively prohibited any other construction on the proposed stretch. This meant that many families on the stretch have been unable to carry out repairs to their homes.
Though the department officials said the plan was merely revised and that there is no move to implement it now, over 1,000 households living on the stretch, who face the threat of eviction due the proposal, alleged the officials are moving ahead with the plan without factoring them in.
“We are unable to understand the logic behind the entire project. When you have several options like the Chilavanoor Bund Road, Sahodaran Ayyappan Road and Thevara-Kundannoor Road, the project hardly makes sense. All these families have sunk their lifetime savings on building the homes. We will oppose any attempt to implement the project,” Suresh B, a resident from the area.
According to the Maradu municipality representatives, the road will impact the area the most and the council has already conveyed its opposition to the government. “The proposal was first put foward in the early 90s. It was a demand from a few individuals. Almost 1,200 families will be directly affected. We already witnessed the ordeal of Moolampilly families.Since it is an impractical idea, Maradu council has already conveyed its dissent to the government,” said Boban Nedumparambil, vice-chairman,Maradu municipality.He pointed out the inordinate delay in the implementation of the widening of Madurai-Kochi Nh has already affected the lives of several people in the area.