Indian
Express: Kochi: Tuesday, 03 February 2015.
Contrary to
the claims of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), an RTI reply
shows that the GCDA had not submitted the ‘ring road project’ to the Cochin
Port Trust (CPT) for approval.
The RTI reply
also shows that the GCDA has received conditional environmental clearance for
the project from the Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA). The GCDA had claimed that it was in talks
with the CPT for approval to go ahead with the ring road project. It had also
claimed that the project was yet to get environmental clearance.
Both the
claims seem to be ambiguous, in the light of the RTI reply obtained by Jacob
Santhosh, secretary to the Greater Cochin Development Watch (GCDW), on January
6.
The GCDA had
announced the `360-crore ring road project two years ago. Since then, it has
been going round and round, neither dropping the project nor moving forward
with it. Recently, GCDA chairman N Venugopal cited huge investment and
environmental concerns as the primary reasons behind the delay.
The ring
road, if materialised, will begin at Marine Drive and reach the Seaport Airport
Road, passing through Vaduthala, Cheranallor and Varappuzha. Further, it will
reach the NH-47 through the Container Road. The Chairman had said that for the
36-meter road, around 600 acres of land should be acquired by reclaiming the
backwaters and wetland.
Based on the
RTI reply, the GCDW has come forward demanding clarification on the project. A
total of `6.25 crore was set aside for the project in the 2012-13 and 2013-14
budgets.
KITCKO was
tasked to conduct an environmental impact assessment study at a cost of `6.57
lakh, which was conditionally approved by the KCZMA. “Now, the GCDA should
execute the project as fast as possible,” said the GCDW.
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