Title - Land acquisition for Metro going on at a rapid pace

Land acquisition procedures for Kochi Metro Rail are progressing at a rapid pace and only 14 more hectares need to be acquired for the project, the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) authorities said here on Friday. Out of the total land requirement of 40 hectares for the project, so far 26.4 hectares have been acquired.“The only areas where the pace of land acquisition has slowed down a bit are the places that fall under the wetland classification as per the Basic Tax Register (BTR). This comes to nearly 2 hectares. However, these issues will be sorted out within two weeks and we hope that more land will be acquired in the next two months”, said KMRL managing director Elias George.A total of 876 piers (pillars) have to be constructed between Aluva and Tripunithura-Petta for the Kochi Metro Rail. Out of the total land required for the construction of the piers, 80 per cent have been completed. Land for 191 piers need to be acquired. The remaining land that needs to be acquired are mainly for the construction of the Metro stations and parking lots. The sanction from High Level Committee and Land Revenue Commission is required for 4.7 hectares which will be utilised for the construction of Metro stations at Aluva Shunting neck, Bypass junction, Companyppady, Pulinchode, Appolo, parking lot at CUSAT, Edappally and Palarivattam junction.

The areas that fall under the wetland classification as per the BTR are Companyppady, dumping yard at Kalamassery, CUSAT, Edappally Silversand, Palarivattam and Kadavanthra. The meeting for solving the issues related with the wetlands will be convened in the coming days. Among the remaining land, the KMRL is awaiting government permission for 2.5 hectares of land that belong to Railway, Greater Cochin Development Authority, Kochi Corporation, FACT, Housing Board, Kalamassery and Aluva municipalities and Maharajas college. 

“The GCDA, Kochi Corporation, the other respective local bodies, Railways and all others are extending their whole hearted support to the Kochi metro rail project, which will help us in completing the land acquisition procedures in a time-bound manner”, added Elias George.

Regarding the Vyttila-Petta-Tripunithura Road widening, the 4(1) notification for the land acquisition has already been issued. The district collector will soon convene a meeting with the land owners in the area. Meanwhile, for the widening of Thammanam Pulleppady Road, the KMRL will join hands with Kochi corporation for drafting a financial architecture plan.

Earlier, the state government had allotted Rs 25 crore for the acquisition of land for the Thammanam Pulleppady Road. On Friday, the government granted permission to the Ernakulam district collector for 16 stations of the Kochi metro rail, the Aluva shunting station and the KSRTC bus station road widening. A total of 6.13 hectare need to be acquired for the purpose out of which 6.8 hectares are in private possession.