Vizhinjam ORR: Union cabinet’s green signal for Rs 8,398 crore project

Thiruvananthapuram: The proposed Rs 8,398-crore Greenfield Outer Ring Road connecting Navaikulam and Vizhinjam has received environmental clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, bringing an end to prolonged uncertainty over the 62.7-km project.

The clearance has been granted subject to a number of environmental safeguards. Around 6,500 landowners who surrendered their property for the project had approached the Kerala High Court seeking intervention in the matter, The New Indian Express reported.

According to official sources, compensation disbursement and the tendering process will proceed simultaneously. The project, being implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), is expected to be completed within 30 months.

The road will run from Navaikulam to Vizhinjam, passing through 24 villages across six taluks — Varkala, Chirayinkeezhu, Nedumangad, Kattakada, Neyyattinkara and Thiruvananthapuram.

Land acquisition for the project is estimated to cost around Rs 4,129 crore. Approximately 314.05 hectares will be acquired, with private land accounting for 93.6% and government land for the remaining 6.39%. The proposed right of way is 45 metres, including service roads, and will expand to 60–80 metres around tunnels, slip roads and their approaches.

The project is expected to require the felling of nearly 21,000 trees, while 84 potentially vulnerable species have been identified within the proposed right of way. To compensate for the loss, NHAI has proposed planting around 2.10 lakh trees, roughly ten times the number expected to be felled.

As the available space may not permit the three rows of roadside plantations recommended under IRC guidelines, NHAI has proposed carrying out plantations in forest areas as deposit work, subject to approval from the Forest Department. Miyawaki plantations are also planned around the cloverleaf interchange.

A biodiversity assessment conducted by the Kerala Forest Research Institute identified 84 potentially vulnerable species and several roadkill hotspots along the proposed alignment. Seven Schedule-I species were also identified, including the Crested Goshawk, Crested Hawk-Eagle, Black-headed Ibis, Spectacled Cobra, Russell's Viper, Indian Rock Python and Bengal Monitor Lizard.

The KFRI has proposed a Rs 1.27-crore conservation plan to reduce the project's impact on biodiversity. The proposed mitigation measures include wildlife underpasses, viaducts, fencing, speed restrictions, warning signs, animal detection systems, removal of animal carcasses and vegetation management.

The project will feature around 17 tunnels and 50 viaducts, with the latter having a combined length of nearly 11.974 km. It will also include 17 minor bridges and two major bridges across stretches involving wetlands, paddy fields and other water bodies.

The Environment Ministry has directed NHAI to reassess the tunnel design and explore possibilities for reducing the overall tunnel length. It has also instructed the agency to implement the biodiversity mitigation measures recommended by KFRI.