Outer Ring Road: Public hearing for affected landowners this month

Thiruvananthapuram: The process for securing environmental clearance for the proposed Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road (ORR) has gathered pace, with a public hearing for affected landowners scheduled in the second week of May. The exact date for the hearing will be announced next week.Meanwhile, preliminary soil testing began at Navaikulam last Thursday. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said three teams have been deployed for geotechnical investigations, each covering around 20km of the proposed alignment. The tests are crucial for finalising structural designs, especially in stretches requiring tunnels and elevated corridors.Kerala Forest Research Institute submitted a revised detailed project report (DPR) to NHAI, incorporating changes suggested earlier, including cost revisions and environmental safeguards. The updated report, submitted last Tuesday, is expected to facilitate the next stage of statutory clearances from Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.After completing the public hearing, NHAI will forward the DPR to Centre seeking final environmental clearance. Officials indicated that compensation disbursal to landowners, pending for several months, could begin by June or July, subject to timely approvals.An NHAI official said the project has now entered a critical phase. "We have addressed the observations raised earlier and submitted the revised DPR. With soil testing and public consultations progressing simultaneously, we are aiming to secure environmental clearance at the earliest so that land acquisition and compensation can begin without further delay," said the official. ORR, a key infrastructure project under Centre's Bharatmala Pariyojana, proposes a six-lane access-controlled highway linking Vizhinjam port with Navaikulam over a stretch of 65-80km. The corridor is aimed at decongesting city traffic and improving logistics connectivity to Vizhinjam International Seaport.The project faced delays due to regulatory hurdles, including earlier environmental clearance lapsing and the need for fresh approval after its classification as national highway. The revised alignment also includes tunnel sections through ecologically sensitive areas to minimise environmental impact.ORR is also expected to spur economic development along its corridor, with plans for logistics hubs and commercial zones, while significantly reducing travel time around the capital region. However, concerns among landowners over compensation and environmental impact remain key issues likely to be raised during the upcoming public hearing.