Jayakumar to focus on EMRIP work again

Assembly Speaker D. Jayakumar has once again agreed to take the initiative to revive the Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP), which has been bogged down by land acquisition and temple relocation.

Meeting likely

A meeting with all the stakeholders is likely to take place during last week of this month, as the Speaker, who represents Royapuram in the House, wants to give enough time for everyone to present their case and the progress made by them in the last two months.

Mr. Jayakumar told

The Hindu that he was not able to concentrate on the Rs.600-crore project as he was busy with the ongoing Assembly proceedings. As the Assembly session would come to an end on Wednesday, he would invite all the stakeholders soon.

Officials of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are carrying out the work on the 30-km stretch even though they are not provided sufficient land at various sites to offload their materials.

On its part, the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company relocated the Fishing Harbour Police Station and took control of a small portion of land belonging to two petrol pumps for widening the 1.6-km-long road from S.N. Chetty Street to Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) main gate. However, a delay in relocating the Bhavani Amman temple has taken a toll on the development work at the landing point.

“Significant delay”

“The completion of EMRIP now hinges on this 1.6-km stretch. There has been a significant delay on the part of ChPT in handing over the remaining portion of the land to us from the zero gate. Currently, we have been given only 300 metres of space, where we are constructing a passageway and underpass. Besides, the residents are not allowing us to carry out the work near the Bhavani Amman temple as final decision has to be taken regarding its shifting,” said a NHAI official.

According to official sources, the Bhavani Amman temple occupies about 10 metres of land.

Its removal would give access to about 300 metres of land surrounding it. As no decision has been taken regarding the alternative site for the temple, residents are not allowing NHAI to carry out development work in that area.

“Besides, the ChPT has to handover to us at least 600 metres from zero gate to enable us to carry out repairs on the decade-old bridge, which is serving as a two-way lane for loaded containers to exit and enter the port. We hope the authorities would wake up before it becomes necessary to repair the bridge,” said the official.

Both TNRDC and NHAI officials are worried as they have to cope with monsoon and deadlines that are fast approaching.

Atulya Misra, ChPT Chairman, held a meeting with port users on Monday to find ways to solve the congestion issue. Allotment letters to 146 fishermen would be handed over very soon, he added.