Kerala - Kochi   

Vallarpadam rail alignment: samiti continues protest

Staff Reporter

Plans to block trains on August 13

KOCHI: Janakeeya Samiti, Vaduthala, continues to protest against the proposed rail alignment to the Vallarpadam Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT).

In a press conference here, leaders of the samiti asked why the authorities were not considering the alternative alignments proposed.

The samiti presented a rail alignment along the Vembanad waterways at a meeting of stakeholders convened by the Chief Minister recently.

The samiti said that no land acquisition would be required for the alternative alignment, whereas the proposed alignment along Vaduthala would lead to eviction of around 800 families.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) had proposed four alignments for the rail connectivity to the ICCT. The samiti was in favour of the first alignment, which goes along the now-unused Ernakulam Railway Goods Station.

This alignment was later dropped after complaints that the Kerala High Court functioning would be affected, said the samiti leaders.

The samiti has decided to block train traffic on August 13 in protest against the move to go ahead with Alignment II, which goes through Vaduthala and Mulavukadu. The protest follows the RVNL inviting tenders for the alignment.

"The samiti is blocking train traffic to demand re-tendering for the rail connectivity along the Vembanad waterways. No house need to be evicted in the Corporation limits according to this alignment and the work could be completed in one year," they said.

On the other hand, the proposed alignment will cause extensive evictions in thickly inhabited Vaduthala and Mulavukadu regions.

Additional expenditure

This will also require extra expenditure of Rs.170 crores and compensation to evictees. Also, the alignment requires many overbridges, which will delay the completion of the project, they said.

The samiti leaders countered allegations that the protest was slowing down the commissioning of the ICCT project.

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