Kerala - Kozhikode   

4-lane road proposal raises eco concerns

Kozhikode: Jana Jagrata Samithy, the people’s collective against eco-hostile constructions and infrastructure development, has warned that the proposed 24-km four-lane road from the National Highway to the satellite township of Kinalur estate, near Balussery here, will lead to serious environmental consequences in the area.

At a press conference held here on Friday, Samithy president K. Rahmathulla said that the four-lane road was proposed to cater to the land mafia, rather than in the interests of the public.

They added that the idea of a “dedicated four-lane road” through the present route was furthered by “vested interests” when an equally viable alternative road was possible with minimum environmental hazards and problems to people.

Mr. Rahmathulla said that the proposed road could be constructed only after filling hundreds of hectares of paddy fields in the area. According to him, it was proposed without undertaking an environmental study about its impact on the area. “It takes thousands of loads of red earth to fill the paddy fields after flattening the nearby hills, to construct the roads,” he said.

The Samithy members said that the filling of the paddy fields on a major scale would block the free flow of rainwater during monsoon resulting in the flooding of nearby areas. “The filling of the paddy fields can also cause the groundwater level to go down drastically during summer,” said Mr. Rahmathulla.

According to the Samithy members, the district authorities have no clear idea about for the proposal. “The District Collector could not give us any information about the proposed road when we approached his office through the Right to Information Act,” said Mr. Rahmathulla.

“We need transparency in the whole deal. An environmental impact study should be conducted on the project. The authorities should seriously look into the possibilities of the alternative road,” he summed up.

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