The Kerala Voluntary Health Services (KVHS) is set to submit the final report of the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) for the proposed extension of the Kochi metro to Kakkanad on August 10.
KVHS, which was entrusted with conducting SIA, had already submitted a draft report to the district administration based on which multiple public hearings will be held next month.
Altogether 2.86 hectares under 55 different survey numbers have to be acquired from Edappally South village (0.89 hectares), Vazhakkala village (0.34 and 0.67 hectares) and Kakkanad village (0.93 hectares) for the Kakkanad extension of the metro. This is in addition to the 0.0167 hectares to be acquired at Palarivattom within Poonithura village for erecting piers.
The critical hearings will be at Edappally South and Vazhakkala villages, while the land to be acquired in Kakkanad village is mostly owned by the government. “We are confident of publishing the final SIA report by August 10, and it is likely to be published 10 days later,” Saju Itti, executive director, KVHS, told The Hindu.
Land acquisition will affect 297 people and 275 shops, while six houses will be fully affected. Mr. Itti said there was some initial reluctance on the part of shop owners, as they demanded further clarity from the government on compensation and rehabilitation.
Most people were apprehensive of the potential delay in metro construction work affecting their business prospects. “The overwhelming public opinion was in favour of launching construction work only after the completion of land acquisition, as their simultaneous progression might prove tricky,” said Mr. Itti.
Once the final SIA report is approved, it will be submitted to an expert committee followed by survey work on the land to be acquired. The revised survey records will have to be approved before issuing draft notification clarifying the plots with survey numbers and the extent of land to be acquired.
This will be followed by a basic valuation report for fixing the land value and detailed valuation statement publishing the percentage value to be paid. Award inquiry by verifying the land documents of potential awardees followed by actual award of compensation are the final formalities before land acquisition.
Meanwhile, there was some opposition from a section of traders on the proposed alignment of the metro along the Palarivattom-Kakkanad Civil Line Road, which might turn intense at the time of actual land acquisition. According to studies, the proposed Kakkanad extension would be one of the busiest routes and is likely to attract about 1.04 lakh passengers by 2023.