KOCHI: With the impasse over suspended road widening works on Neriamangalam-Valara stretch of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway 85 continuing, local residents and various socio-cultural organisations are threatening to launch a massive protest in the coming days, demanding immediate resumption of work.
The High Court on July 11 suspended the road upgrading work on the 14.5-km stretch, citing issues with the “forest land” and lack of necessary approvals from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), based on a petition filed by Idukki-based environmentalist M N Jayachandran. However, the residents and the National Highway Protection Council, argue that the widening is crucial for improving connectivity of the hill ranges with the main land and also to ensure traffic safety on the accident-prone route.
“We are organising a massive convention on October 2, in which representatives of various communities, political and social organisations, will take part. The next hearing in the case is slated for October 7. We are planning to launch several protests if the authorities fail to resolve the impasse before that. The court has already made it clear that it will give the go ahead nod if the state submits an affidavit in signing. The MoEFCC too left it to the decision of the state government,” P M Baby, chairman of the National Highway Protection Council told TNIE.
As per its protest plans, the council plans to block the vehicles of forest officials plying through the stretch, conduct a march to the office of Minister Roshy Augustine, and also to hold a two-day hartal in the district, besides laying a siege to the forest office functioning at Neriamangalam.
Meanwhile, residents charged that the roads are now in a dilapidated condition, resulting in increased mishaps. Also, one side of the stretch was trenched before the works got suspended. The paved shoulders or retention walls could not be constructed, the same increases the risk of landslides. Similarly, the work on the drainage tunnel could not be finished and the digging of the road for the same is now posing threat to vehicles.
Only 10% work completed on the stretch: NHAI
When contacted, the NHAI authorities said only 10 per cent work on the 14.5 km stretch could be completed. “This is even as we have finished the work with regard to 95 kms out of the total 124-km corridor of NH 85 where the road upgrading works are progressing,” a senior NHAI official said.
“The works have been suspended since July 11. The court said in its order that it will allow resumption of the work upon the government filing an affidavit towards the same. However, the government is yet to submit the report,” he added.
The NHAI authorities said they started the work, including cutting of trees, upon receiving the approval of the forest department, but now forced to suspend the work due to the court direction.
“We have got the approval of the forest department, and started the tree-cutting activities on the stretch. The work on the only major bridge in the corridor at Neriamangalam is progressing. The sub-structure on one side has been completed and the one on the forest side is pending,” the official said.
The Rs 910-crore project, sanctioned in December 2022, mainly involves the widening of the two-lane NH corridor from Kochi (Kundannoor) to Munnar. The work also includes paved shoulders and retention walls along the stretch to prevent landslides.