Land acquisition process for the proposed Mahe-Valapattanam stretch of the Payyoli-Bekal portion of the inland navigation route planned to develop waterways from Kovalam to Bekal gains momentum with the government issuing order for the takeover of the 179 acres of land for two of the total segments of the stretch in the district.
The government gave administrative sanction for the acquisition of the land required for the proposed 10-km-long canal to be developed for linking the Mahe and Eranholi rivers. It passes through Palathayi, Elankode, Kannamvally, and Mokeri. The second segment is the 1-km canal to be made at Kuyyali, near Thalassery, connecting the Eranholi and Dharmadam rivers.
The government order for takeover of the land identified for acquisition followed completion of survey procedures.
“In these two segments, survey work, including collection of survey numbers from village offices, has been completed,” said K. Nandanan, Executive Engineer of the Inland Navigation Division here. The survey work for the third segment of the Mahe-Valapattanam stretch are nearing completion, he added.
The third segment is a 15-km-long canal to be developed for connecting Dharmadam and Kantampally rivers. This being the longest canal to be cut for the inland navigation route in the district from Peringathur to Valapattanam, it is estimated that 250 acres of land is required. IND officials said the government would issue a separate order for the acquisition of land for the third segment of the route.
This proposed canal would pass through Mamakunnu, Kadachira, Chala, Varam, and Chelora.
The multicrore waterway development project will be carried out by the Kerala Waterways Infrastructure Ltd. (KWIL), a joint venture of the State government and Cochin International Airport Ltd.
If the three segments the Mahe-Valapattanam stretch are completed, it is connected to the 80-km-long waterway, covering rivers and backwaters already existing from Valapattanam to Neeleswaram in Kasaragod.
Local protest
Meanwhile, a local action committee of residents of areas identified for acquisition of land for the 10-km- long proposed canal linking Mahe and Eranholi rivers said it would intensify agitation against the canal project and land acquisition.
The action committee would organise a protest march at Panur on June 23 against the order for acquiring land for the inland navigation canal in their area.