THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After years of delay and uncertainty, the long-pending Outer Ring Road (ORR) project, connecting Vizhinjam to Navaikulam via Thekkada, in Thiruvananthapuram, has gained fresh momentum, with the environmental clearance process entering a crucial stage.
The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has issued a notification announcing a public hearing on June 11, a mandatory step for securing environmental clearance for the ambitious Rs 8,398.46-crore project. The hearing – which will record objections, suggestions and concerns – will cover the entire 62.7 km of the proposed greenfield highway, giving hopes to the project that has remained in limbo for years.
Officials associated with the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process said the latest application has been prepared based on the final detailed project report (DPR), which was approved by the Public-Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC). The revised DPR incorporates significant design changes, including the construction of tunnels at 17 locations to avoid deep hill cutting and minimise environmental damage.
“The tunnels do not involve any change in the alignment. They have been proposed only to avoid extensive cutting in hilly stretches,” an official source said. The draft environmental impact assessment report submitted will be finalised after the public hearing.
“The PCB will publish the minutes online within a week after the hearing and the NHAI will then submit their clarification and responses to the issues raised in the public hearing. We will incorporate this in the final EIA report which will be uploaded on the MoEFCC’s ‘Parivesh’ portal for approval from the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) by June end,” said the source.
“The EAC is expected to grant the approval by July end and the project will take off by August. We are not expecting any more queries from EAC as the Terms of References for conducting the EIA were approved earlier. They are convinced that the ORR is essential for handling future traffic demand, especially cargo movement to and from the Vizhinjam International Seaport,” the official added.
The ORR is expected to strengthen logistics connectivity to Vizhinjam port, reduce congestion in Thiruvananthapuram city and spur large-scale development along the proposed corridor.
Around 314 hectares of land spread across 24 villages are being acquired to facilitate the project. As many as 6,000 families who have surrendered their lands and properties for the project are still waiting for compensation.