CS Oct-2021 | Page 20

From the States :

People of Kerala Protest against Silver Line – High Speed Railway Line Project

Kerala state government claims the new high-speed railway line will reduce time between Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod districts and will cover 529.45 km from Kochuveli in the south to Kasaragod in the north covering 11 districts and halting at 11 stations in just four hours . This long line is proposed as fully fenced , electric , stand alone and standard gauge . This high speed train runs at a top speed of 200 kmph . The average speed is 132.5 km / hr . The government claims that if this project is implemented , Kerala will also be on the world ‘ development ’ map .
The expected project cost is 63,941crores ( experts say it would cost more than 1 lakh crores ). This project will be independent of any budgetary support from Ministry of Railways . This project construction would require 1,383 hectares of land for the new railway line . The existing train journey between Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram takes 12 hours . But new project railway line will allow for two-line alternative rail routes and reduce train journey . The Kerala state government has appointed Kerala Railway Development Corporation ( KRDC ) as implementing agency . Already the total project estimation is approved by the Niti Aayog and the railway board . Some of the veteran journalist and experts who are excited about this project have no proper scientific , economic , technical knowledge and didn ’ t consider social and environmental impact by the project as observed by some environmentalists and experts . The project is a financial and environmental disaster .
What is the Silver Line Project ?
The “ Silver Line Project ” is very expensive and semi high speed railway project . According to Niti Aayog estimated cost of the land acquisition compensation is 28,157 crores . The KRDC , a joint venture between the 20
Government of Kerala and Indian Railways , is moving ahead with the Silver Line Semi High Speed Railway project , which claims to cost Rs 63,941 crore . Earlier Niti Aayog assessed estimates of the project around Rs 1,26,000 crore . KRDC claims travel from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod in four hours and 67,450 passengers travel daily . The responsibility of project construction process is taken by the three agency groups , such as Hudco , Rail Finance Corporation and Kerala Infrastructure Investment Funds Board which will lend money for the project implementation .
The State government initially said the new railway line will be constructed parallel to the existing ones . The project alignment locations have been in many places 4 km away from existing line . The project authorities said change in alignment is to avoid massive turns and twists of the line . The new silver line project have two rail routes and require large scale of around 1,383 hectares of land from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod . The State government is hyping this project about the reduced travel time and reduction of traffic jams on roads and improving air quality . But the project would pass through lands including wetlands , rivers , lakes , rice fields , residential areas of high density of population , buildings , bridges and would damage environment . It destroys natural resources , hillocks and many endangered species living in the stretch and displaces thousands of people and affect their lives and livelihoods . Impact on Environment and People
Kerala is dependent on agriculture . The State exports many agricultural products to other countries . The proposed new railway line will destroy agricultural lands and wetlands . This project is not properly studied by the state government . This is no good for the people of Kerala .
Twenty thousand houses will have to be evacuated . Millions of people will be left homeless . Thousands of public roads , including major roads , will be cut off and traffic will be disrupted . The proposed route has 88.41 km via duct , 11.52 km tunnels , 101.73 km cutting , 24.28 cut and cover , 12.99 bridges , 292.72 km embankment . The embankments and cuttings form nearly 80 % of the total route -structures that would obstruct water flow and movement of people . 135 km passes through paddy fields and other Ramsar sites . In many places the embanked track is to be made of granite up to a height of twenty-five feet , filled with soil and concrete . The accumulation of construction materials required for this will cause fatal injuries to the Western Ghats . 530 km wall , which will be five to fifteen meters high on both sides , will split Kerala into two and increase the damage during floods .
The earlier floods that literally submerged half the state , the recurring landslides , soil piping incidents , roads crumbling down the hills have taught some basic facts – that while flood water defines the state ’ s landscape , it could also turn into a biggest nightmare , if we wrongly
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