Land acquisition on for NH widening

Land acquisition procedures for widening the Thuravoor-Oachira stretch of National Highway 66 have commenced.

As the initial step, authorities will start laying alignment stones within two weeks and the Revenue Department will initiate survey proceedings.

Earlier, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had issued a notification to set in motion the process of land acquisition. As per the mandatory notification (dated February 15, under Section 3A of the National Highway Act, 1956), 126.6 hectares of government and private land will be acquired for the NH development in the district.

The plan is to widen the 81.6-km stretch of NH into four lanes of 45 metres.

1,200 objections

Officials said the Revenue Department had received 1,200 objections on the 3A notification. Complaints regarding the alignment would be handed over to the National Highways Authority of India. The Revenue Department would conduct a hearing in the coming days to redress the rest of the grievances.

A special unit under the Revenue Department has been entrusted with the land acquisition. Officials said that all the processes related to acquiring land should be completed within a year for issuing 3D notification (declaration of acquisition). Otherwise, the 3A notification would become invalid.

The land to be acquired as per the 3A notification is in the villages of Thuravoor South, Pattanakkad, Kadakkarappally, Vayalar East, Cherthala North, Cherthala South, Kokkothamangalam, Thanneermukkom North, Mararikulam North, Kanjikuzhi, Kalavoor, Pathirappally, Mannancherry, Komalapuram, Aryad South, Paravoor, Punnapra, Ambalappuzha, Purakkad, Thrikkunnapuzha, Karuvatta, Kumarapuram, Haripad, Karthikapally, Pallipad, Chingoli, Cheppad, Pathiyoor, Keerikkad, Kayamkulam, and Krishnapuram.

Long-pending demand

The widening of the NH 66 is a long-pending demand. An earlier notification issued for road development was de-notified by the NHAI following stiff resistance from local residents against land acquisition.

Although the normal width of National Highways in the country is fixed at 60 metres, the residents demanded that the road be developed in 30 metres. After initial reluctance, the NHAI relaxed the norm for Kerala and Goa.

It fixed the width at 45 metres, paving the way for the widening of the road.