THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the wake of stiff protest by the Thiruvarattukavu temple authorities against the alleged encroachment of temple land by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to build a service road for the under-construction Attingal bypass, the NHAI has proposed two underpasses in the region. This would eliminate the need for acquiring the temple land.
The new proposal was mentioned in the counter affidavit that NHAI filed in the Kerala High Court in connection with a contempt of court petition. The temple authorities had filed the petition on April 3 alleging that the NHAI violated the court order by encroaching on temple land without consent. In the counter affidavit, the NHAI said the competent committee that it constituted recommended dropping the plan to build a service road for a length of 165m adjacent to the temple and instead building two additional underpasses to allow people to cross, safeguarding the temple, including its boundary structures.
The NHAI committee made the recommendation following a site visit on May 14. The NHAI informed the court that it found certain genuineness in the grievances raised regarding the effect the acquisition and construction have on the holy structures of the temple. The HC had considered the counter affidavit on May 22 and later posted the case on May 30, while asking the NHAI about further steps taken on the proposed underpasses.
The NHAI said their design was being readied under the aegis of engineering, procurement, and construction contractor. The contractor also submitted a proposal to avoid the left service road adjacent to the temple. Hence, NHAI requested the court to dismiss the contempt of court plea. It also said the decision on the proposed underpasses had been communicated to the Thiruvananthapuram district collector.
However, the temple authorities sought two weeks’ time to ensure that the designs for the underpasses were ready. “We have sought two weeks’ time as we need to know the alignment of the designs. If we are okay with it, the construction can proceed. Else, we will continue the legal fight. We have the people’s support,” said R Nandakumar, president of, the Attingal History Lovers Association.
The tussle began last year when a new alignment of the Attingal bypass, which included the temple land near Kollampuzha, was proposed. The temple authorities argued that the NHAI changed its earlier alignment plan and included the temple land deliberately. They alleged the 716-year-old temple holds historical importance and should be preserved. They had moved the HC last year and the court stayed the land acquisition on August 29, 2022.
However, it later vacated the order and allowed NHAI to take over the temple land. At the same time, it directed the NHAI to conduct a site visit and take the temple officials into confidence. However, the temple authorities came out against the NHAI after the latter initiated land acquisition by demolishing the compound wall and felling trees on March 22, allegedly without prior information.