It is just impossible to develop all national highways in Kerala at 45-metre width, due to prohibitive cost of land acquisition and stiff resistance to the proposal that is building up all across the State, key stakeholders in the State’s NH-development process have said.
The State government had recently decided to develop NHs at 45-metre width, as against its declared stand to develop NH stretches in Kerala at 30-metre width in places where land acquisition for 45-metre wide NH is facing stiff resistance from land owners.
NGOs fighting against 45-metre-wide highways speak of how fresh land acquisition at places where 30-metre-wide land is available is next to impossible. “Land owners on NH 17 will fight another round of acquisition tooth and nail since their houses were pulled down for acquiring land at 30-metre width. They rebuilt their houses in whatever small plots were available. We cannot comprehend yet another attempt to evict people since many people have not got full compensation amount for plots surrendered 25 years ago,” said Hashim Chendampilly, convener of NH Samara Samity, a conclave of NGOs.
He said NH 17 is hardly six-metres wide in places such as Vadakkekara, while land acquired at 30-metre width is lying idle and weed- infested. “Both land owners and commuters are angry at the state of affairs.”
Biggest challengeSources in PWD said land acquisition was the biggest challenge since only eight hectares of land was acquired in NH 47 and NH 17 during the past 13 years. “The government says the total compensation to land owners would be Rs. 13,500 crore (at the average rate of Rs.4 lakh per cent). But this would scale up to well over Rs. 50,000 crore since the market rate for most plots facing NHs ranges from between Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 1 crore. It is doubtful whether NHAI would pay this since State government is hard-pressed for funds.”
Rather than waste time on the project, priority must be given to widen Cherthala-Kazhakoottam reach of NH 47 and also Edappally-Kuttipuram reach of NH 17 into four lane. Land acquired at 30-metre-width over two decades ago was lying idle in these busy but narrow and highly-accident-prone stretches, they said. Other highway corridors can be developed at 30 or 45-metre width, depending on the availability of land. Already, the 270-km NH 47 stretch from Edappally to Walayar is being developed at 45-metre width.
Elevated highwayA senior PWD official suggested construction of an elevated 4-lane corridor on a BOT basis in the next stage of development in 30-metre highways. This would cost approximately Rs. 150 crore under current estimates and can be realized through user fee.
