Decks have been cleared for the acquisition of land for the proposed Kochi metro corridor between Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium and Infopark with a district-level expert committee approving the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) study conducted as a prelude to the acquisition.
Kerala Voluntary Health Services (KVHS), which was entrusted with undertaking the study, presented the report before the committee at a meeting held here on Monday.
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“Survey along the stretch has been completed and the notification for the acquisition of land will be issued shortly. We are looking at acquiring the entire parcel of land required for the project by next March. Land value to be distributed as compensation to the affected landowners will also be worked out accordingly,” said Revenue Department sources.
The study was drafted based on the field visits carried out by KVHS volunteers to assess problems faced by residents and establishments in the affected area and the relevant data collected thereof.
The State government had entrusted KVHS with the study as per an order issued on May 19.
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The 11.2-km metro stretch between Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium and Infopark has been included in Phase IB of the Kochi metro project. Altogether, 2.86 hectares under 55 different survey numbers have to be acquired from Edappally village (0.89 hectares), Vazhakkala village (0.34 and 0.67 hectares) and Kakkanad village (0.93 hectares) for the Kakkanad extension of metro. This was in addition to the 0.0167 hectares to be acquired at Palarivattom for erecting piers.
A review meeting was also held on Monday to take stock of the progress of land acquisition for various stretches of Kochi metro. “Around 15 cents required for rebuilding the Chambakkara Bridge, a key component of the Vytilla-Pettah stretch of Kochi metro, will be handed over this month,” said sources.
Thripunithura extension
The Revenue Department remains confident of completing the acquisition of land for the Pettah-Thripunithura stretch of the metro by next January. The meeting observed that acquisition measures were progressing without hiccups.
The SIA is an essential and mandatory component ahead of land acquisition under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.