CHENNAI: The 133-km Chennai Peripheral Road (CPR) to be laid at an estimated cost of 13,000 crores connecting Mahabalipuram with Ennore Port via the Northern Port Access Road will now require clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest as part of the project falls in the Coastal Regulation Zone.
The issue involves the 2.8-km bridge with two side ramps with a width of 30.30 metres, built on the proposed 20.90-km Northern Port Access Road (NPAR) which passes through Buckingham Canal and Kosasthalaiyar river in Katpulli village in Ponneri taluk of Thiruvallur district. Interestingly, this is the first of the five sections of the project.
The link road from NPAR connects with Tiruvottriyur-Ponneri-Panchetty Road and part of the project comes under the Coastal Regulation-IV areas as per the Coastal Regulation Zone notification 2011 and the total project cost of that stretch is `49 crore.
It is learnt that Thiruvallur District Coastal Zone Management Authority had recommended the project to the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (SCZMA) with remarks that the pillars provided in the Buckingham Canal and Kosasthalaiyar river should not affect the free flow of the water bodies.
Sources in SCZMA said that as per 2011 Coastal Regulation Zone notification, construction of bridges, sea link, and road on stilts are permissible activities. But when it comes to Coastal Regulation IV pertaining to water areas, no power is vested with the SCZMA for clearance and as such, the proposal requires clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change.
The project which will be introduced in five phases connects Mahabalipuram to Ennore Port via Singaperumalkoil, Sriperumbudur, Tiruvallur, Tamaraipakkam, Periyapalayam, Puduvoyal and Katpulli which will link North Port Access Road from Ennore Port to Thatchur.
However, there has been a change in alignment of the Northern Port Access Road as the project road is shifted southwards to avoid built-up area, high-tension lines and to accommodate an interchange at the National Highway 5. As the length of NPAR (20.90 km) is reduced by 22 metres (earlier it was 21.12 km), the project road crosses the Buckingham Canal and Kosasthalaiyar river at Katpulli.
Factfile
The total length of CPR is 133.381 km and the estimated cost is `13,000 crore
It is funded by Japan International Cooperation agency and the project connects Mahabalipuram with Ennore and divided into five sections
There are 4,797 trees falling within the project corridor. State Level Expert Appraisal Committee has said that 2,168 will be retained in the median divider, footpath etc. and the rest will be transplanted
Will affect 802 buildings