THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The proposed flyover at Attakulangara is likely to be dropped as the houses in Puthen Street-I agraharam, that need to be acquired for the project, come under the heritage zone. On Wednesday, the action council formed by the residents of Puthen Street-I and owners of shops nearby called on minister and local MLA Antony Raju. It is learnt that the minister got convinced by the grievances of the action council that the whole agraharam comes under the heritage zone and hence it cannot be demolished. So the minister told them that the government would think of dropping the flyover project if the land which needs to be acquired is under heritage zone. However, a final call will be taken at a meeting called by the minister on October 31 with PWD officials and action council members.
Earlier, the PWD had prepared an alignment that would not touch the right side of Attakulangara-Enchakkal close to Attakulangara junction as there is a centuries-old ‘fort wall’ (Kotta Mathil). The revenue department said that as many as 300 shops and 150 houses in agraharams in the Fort area would be demolished for the project.
The local residents said the demolition of the houses in agraharam in the name of development is not justifiable. It is certain that the acquisition of the agraharam land and the construction of a flyover will disrupt the serene atmosphere of the area. It is pertinent to note that the Archaeological Survey of India has listed the “Fort walls around Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple” and “the fort gates and the sites” under the list titled “Protected Monuments in Kerala”.
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, provides that the limits of the prohibited area and the regulated area around monuments, archaeological sites, and remains, declared by the Central government as protected, have been specified as 100 metres and 200 metres, respectively.
The site for the flyover is located within 100 metres of the Fort walls, and is, therefore, a protected area under the provisions of the Act, the residents of Puthen Street said in a statement. “Around 80 houses in Puthen Street-I alone, which is situated on the northern side of the street, and Anaval Street, which comes under 50 metres from the Fort wall, fall in the heritage zone. We have sufficient documents to prove that claim. The town planning department’s rules restrict the construction of any building in these areas. There are maps available indicating these claims. So we conveyed this entire matter to the minister. Even though the minister said that the project could be dropped as there is no other alternative left, the final decision will be taken in the meetings scheduled on Monday, “ said P Balasubramanian, Secretary, Puthen Street-I residents association and action council member.
Earlier, the state government had planned to construct a flyover on the East Fort-Attakulangara-Manacaud stretch. However, this plan was abandoned because many of the structures that needed to be demolished were located within the heritage zone. The action council members have also met General Education Minister V Sivankutty. The Puthen street-I agraharam is a centuries-old residential settlement of the Tamil Brahmin community situated on the southern side of the Fort wall.