With the appointment of a special tahsildar for the Kochi Metro’s Kakkanad extension, a social impact assessment (SIA) for the project is set to begin.
The SIA has to be completed within six months and the District Collector is expected to allot a team of officials for the purpose. The appointment of the special tahsildar, R. Renu, comes in the wake of Kochi Metro Rail Limited sending a requisition to commence land acquisition to widen the Palarivattom-Kakkanad-Infopark corridor to a 22-metre-wide stretch, Revenue sources said.
Revised alignment
The revised alignment will be used for the purpose wherein land will be acquired to carve out a 11-metre-wide road on each side of metro-rail pillars. The initial alignment was changed at a couple of places like Alinchuvadu to avoid places of worship. Here, land on the opposite side would be acquired. The alignment would, as planned initially, pass through the land owned by the Kerala Press Academy at Collectorate Junction.
Officials of the Revenue Department and KMRL are expected inspect the sites shortly, prior to the commencement of land acquisition on the 11-km-long corridor. Palarivattom Junction, Palarivattom Bypass Junction and Collectorate Junction are expected to be widened as part of the initiative. The value of lands to be acquired will be finalised after the final notification. The delay in commencing the land acquisition process has been attributed mainly to lack of clarity on how to proceed since the State government has not framed rules on the basis of the Centre’s new land acquisition Act.
Tender process
KMRL sources said that it is up to the Revenue Department to commence land acquisition as soon as possible. “We have not fixed any deadline. But we will begin the tendering process to widen the corridor once French lending agency AFD finalises the approximately Rs. 1,314 crore loan for the metro’s Kakkanad extension.”
Clearing of encroachments at places like Vazhakkala is set to commence shortly. The Centre is yet to accord its nod for the Kakkanad extension.
Land acquisition for the metro’s Thripunithura extension is also overdue, though KMRL decided on the 1.5-km-long Pettah-SN Junction extension over a year ago.
