Title - Protests in Mahe against high-speed rail corridor

Protest is mounting among the residents of Mahe against the high-speed rail corridor proposed by Kerala that apparently will pass through the Union Territory.The Anti High-Speed Rail Corridor committee carried out protests recently against the project which they said would in no way benefit their region and would prove adverse to the territory which had very high population density.Speaking to The Hindu , Mahe MLA E. Valsaraj said the move to encroach upon the Union Territory for the rail project would be opposed at any cost.“The move may not be deliberate, and the region may have got included while mapping the area for the rail route through satellite. However, since around nine square kilometre of land in the territory with nearly 43,000 residents have been included, the project is bound to affect the development and socio economic activities of the region. Moreover, it carries no benefit to Mahe. The protest may seem premature, but none should take our silence to be consent for the project,” he said.“Mahe cannot even afford to give land for the elevated paths as envisaged in the project, as it required building pillars with a width of 15-20 metres. Moreover, it is an inter-State issue. Also, as per the sketch put up by the Kerala High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited, it is not a straight path and follows a zigzag route. That shows that an alternative route excluding Mahe can be considered,” Mr. Valsaraj said.

The administration and members of the action committee have decided to meet the Chief Minister of Kerala Oommen Chandy to apprise him of the issue.

The Union Territory has a very high population density

Project will not benefit Mahe anyway, says MLA