THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shashi Tharoor has stressed the need for the early completion of the NH-47 bypass from Kovalam to Kaliyikkavila. Tharoor, who met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways C P Joshi in New Delhi on Tuesday, pointed out that the project was envisaged as far back as 1974 and that the people whose land was to be acquired for the project cannot be made to wait any longer for the compensation. Tharoor, in a statement, said the Union Minister has promised speedy implementation of the project. The proposal for a combined bypass for the NH-47 starting from the entry point of NH-47 in the city at Kazhakkoottam and rejoining it at the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border at Kaliyikkavila, had been taken up by the NHAI many years ago and one part of the stretch, from Kazhakkoottam to Kovalan Junction, had been completed about 10 years ago. But the subsequent work on the Kovalam-Kaliyikkavila stretch had got bogged down due to various unknown reasons. Land acquisition problem was not among these reasons as the survey work on the alignment had been completed and the people who were affected had only wanted that the compensation process be completed quickly, Tharoor said.This project, initially christened the ‘Thiruvananthapuram- Neyyattinkara’ combined bypass, envisaged a six-lane 43-km stretch between Kazhakkottam and Kaliyikkavila. The construction of the bypass from Kazhakkoottam to Kovalam Junction had been completed about 10 years ago.Beyond Kovalam, up to the Kerala border in Kaliyikkavila, the proposal involves construction of a fresh highway and land had been identified for it. However, actual acquisition proceedings (except for a short 5 km stretch from Kovalam Junction to Vizhinjam village) have not been undertaken for this stretch and the local population who, incidentally, have had no objection to the acquisition, are suffering untold difficulties due to non-receipt of compensation in the light of the stoppage of the acquisition process.It was essential from a humanitarian point of view that the process is completed swiftly to enable them to relocate and get on with their lives, said Tharoor. For completing the remaining land acquisition up to the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border (Kaliyikkavila) 70 hectares of land has to be acquired. An approximate amount Rs 350 crore would be required to acquire the remaining stretch of land from Kottukal village up to Kaliyikkavila. The project will require construction of five underpasses and five overpasses at the junctions of crossroads, with the main carriageway, along with major and minor bridges. The construction cost of the remaining 20.40-km stretch from Kovalam Junction to Kaliyikkavila will be approximately Rs 200 crore.
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