Outer Ring Road project: Land acquisition proceedings start

According to the NHAI officials, the laying of boundary stones will be completed within a month.
Representational Image. (File Photo)
Representational Image. (File Photo)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), revenue department, and Bhopal-based ‘Highway Engineering Consultant’ has started laying the boundary stones as part of the land acquisition procedures for the construction of the proposed Outer Ring Road (ORR) in the state capital. The proposed 77-kilometre road will start from Vizhinjam and end at Navaikulam near the Kollam border. Though the stone-laying procedures started last week, no protests have been held so far among the residents.

In the first phase, the stone laying will be done along a 65-kilometre stretch from Vizhjinam to Navaikulam. The stone laying for the construction of the Thekkada-Mangalapuram stretch will be done in the second phase.

According to the NHAI officials, the laying of boundary stones will be completed within a month. A total of 348.09 hectares of land will be acquired for the project.

“The stone-laying procedure started from the Vizhinjam side. If the residents raise objections, we will listen to their problems and come up with a solution. The ORR will also have service roads,” said P Pradeep, project director, NHAI.

The Kerala Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation Ltd submitted the detailed project report (DPR) for land acquisition to the NHAI in October. The NHAI finalised the DPR and handed it over to the district administration’s land acquisition wing.

The DPR for other aspects, including the resettlement and rehabilitation package and the environmental impact assessment report, is yet to be submitted to the NHAI. The NHAI is expected to float the tender for the project during this financial year itself. As per the DPR, the stretch passes through 31 villages.

Earlier, the revenue department constituted a special team for the speedy implementation of the project. Issuing an order on government approval for land acquisition in April this year, the revenue department set up a team of 12 officials, led by a special deputy collector, to ensure the smooth acquisition of about 1,500 acres for the project under the Centre’s Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme.

The ORR project received the Union government’s in-principle approval in 2019. As per the plan, the six-lane road will be 70m wide and will have 10m-wide service lanes. Furthermore, the road from Parippally in Kollam to the NH-66 bypass at Vizhinjam will be flanked by logistics, IT, and entertainment hubs. The project is planned to be implemented in two phases.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com