The Hindu : Kerala News : Massive investments in projects needed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 05, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Kerala

Kerala

Massive investments in projects needed

K. A. Martin

Lack of urgency holds up implementation of a number of projects

Photo: H. Vibhu

ALMOST COMPLETE: The Pulleppady overbridge.

KOCHI: Kochi’s urgent requirement for massive infrastructure development stands in sharp contrast with the snail pace of project implementation in the city. From the 12-year delay in developing Sahodaran Ayappan Road to taking steps suggested by Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) way back in April 1991, the city looks unable to catch up with its future.

Investments needed

Massive investments in a slew of projects, including the international container transshipment terminal, are knocking at Kochi’s doors and the crying need is for infrastructure like flyovers, rail overbridges and broader roads.

The Pulleppady rail overbridge, the key to linking the east and west halves of the city, awaits commissioning, three years after the completion of a major portion of the overbridge.

Twenty-five metres of the bridge remain to be completed by the Railways. Several other projects have not even been taken up despite their importance to the growth of the city.

This include the flyovers on National Highways at the Kundannoor, Vyttila and Palarivattam junctions.

Rail overbridges at Ponnurunny, Atlantis and Vaduthala-Pacchalam too need to be taken up in a time-bound manner.

Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala Limited (RBDCK), the infrastructure development agency, has prepared plans for developing the flyovers at Vyttila and Palarivattam. The proposals are before the Government, said R. Sreelekha, managing director of RBDCK.

Roundabout

The proposal for an elevated roundabout was proposed at Pachalm to ease congestion in Pachalam and Vaduthala areas.

Applications for approval of the project is pending with the Railways and Kerala Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organization (KITCO) had drawn up a plan for a roundabout with connections to Marine Drive, Kaloor, NH 17, Goshree Bridges and Chittoor and Mathai Manjooran roads.

Ms. Sreelekha said that RBDCK had run into trouble with the Pulleppady rail overbridge as it had its money locked up. RBDCK had paid about 80 per cent of value of the land that was acquired for the project.

The money was part of the Rs. 56-crore loan availed from Housing and Urban Development Corporation (Hudco).

The mode of repayment of the loan was through the toll collection which has now been delayed. About the Atlantis rail overbridge, the RBDCK official said that land acquisition would be a costly process for the project. The project has remained in its proposal stage.

Ponnurunny

Land acquisition process for the Ponnurunny rail overbridge is nearly complete, said Ms. Sreelekha.

This is a project that involves the Railways. RBDCK has spent Rs. four crore in land acquisition and having had the Pulleppady experience, RBDCK appears to be hesitant in starting the work.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala