Kochi: Despite the State government’s allocation of ₹125 crore to enhance east-west connectivity in the city by developing the Kochi NH bypass-MG Road corridor, progress remains stymied as the Revenue department has yet to hand over the necessary land to the Public Works department (PWD).
The looming specter of worsening traffic congestion along the 17-km Edapally-Aroor NH 66 corridor, particularly with the impending commencement of work on an elevated highway by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in mid-2024, accentuates the urgency for road development projects in the area.
A stalemate persists over the development of the Chilavannur Bund Road, which begins from Thykoodam, attributed to purported delays in finalizing compensation packages by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA). Additionally, the fate of widening the 3.60-km NH bypass-Thammanam-Pullepady-MG Road into a four-lane stretch hangs precariously due to the delay in transferring the stretch to the PWD.
The Local Self-Government department (LSGD) relinquished control of the stretch to the Revenue department, with a revised deadline of December 2023 for its handover to the PWD. However, this transfer did not materialize, as Revenue authorities have requested more time to transfer both acquired land and identified tracts earmarked for acquisition. Only upon this transfer can the remaining land be acquired and construction of the four-lane road commence, according to informed sources.
Over the past 13 years, the State government has allocated funds to bolster east-west connectivity, aiming to alleviate congestion on Banerjee Road, SA Road, as well as the NH bypass and M.G. Road.
Sources within the Kerala Road Fund Board (KRFB), tasked with developing the stretch by the PWD, highlight the awaited final alignment, incorporating proposals from both 2023 and earlier versions by the Kochi Corporation. Approval from concerned MLAs and the chief engineer of KRFB is pending, after which boundary stone placement can commence. Subsequent procedures such as social impact assessments and compensation payments must precede land possession.
Residents, organized under the Thammanam-Pullepady Road Vikasana Samithi, lament the prolonged delay in project execution, which has persisted for 35 years despite numerous landowners surrendering property at no cost. Their appeals to Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas in November 2023 underscored the pressing need to expedite the project entangled in bureaucratic red tape.