Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Sunday said work on the flyovers proposed on the Edappally-Aroor NH Bypass; pending overbridges at Atlantis, Pachalam and Vaduthala; the Bypass-Smart City link road and expansion of the Vyttila Mobility Hub would be completed in a time-bound manner.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Salim Rajan overbridge that links the Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road with the KSRTC bus stand and Chitoor Road.
Despite opposition to christening the bridge after former Minister A.L. Jacob, Mr. Chandy said it would be known by that name since the Corporation Council had decided so.
Edappally flyover
On the flyover proposed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) at Edappally (a model of which was kept at the bridge’s inaugural site), he said it would be ready in 18 months after completion of land acquisition. “The District Collector has been asked to speed up the acquisition process.”
He said Kerala did not have a model garbage-treatment plant. The plants had posed several problems for people living in the vicinity. A new plant with innovative technology would be ready in 18 months at Brahmapuram, Mr. Chandy said.
Water shortage
He said the city would get another 100 mld (million litres per day) of water by December. Adequate funds would be given for this. Though a 6-mld HUDCO-aided scheme for Palluruthy was commissioned, people in that area would get more water when the 100-mld scheme was ready.
Mr. Chandy reiterated that the Kollam-Kottapuram National Waterway III would be operational by November, giving a boost to water transport.
“The work on the first reach of the Rs. 2,000-crore Kochi-Kozhikode coastal road has begun and the project will be completed in a time-bound manner.”
Road widening
Mayor Tony Chammany said the corporation needed Rs. 150 crore to widen Padma Junction-Pullepady-Thammanam-NH Bypass road into a 22-metre-wide one. “This must be included in the preparatory works for the metro since vehicles can be diverted through the stretch.”
Citing that JNNURM funds were available only for constructing roads, bridges, flyovers etc., he spoke of how land acquisition was often costlier than the estimate of many projects. Mr. Chammany sought a special package from the State government to develop a good road network for Kochi.
Charles Diaz, MP, sought steps to develop roads and bridges in northern parts of Kochi.
Hibi Eden, MLA, said while the Edappally overbridge took 16 years to be completed, the Salim Rajan bridge was completed in 16 months by DMRC. The DMRC’s Principal Advisor E. Sreedharan and its Kochi Project Director B. Sriram too were present at the function.
The dignitaries were welcomed with saplings, marking the start of DMRC’s afforestation project in the city.
