Cycle track and walkway project hits upon KWA hurdle

Thiruvananthapuram: The project to establish a cycle track and walkway connecting Aruvikkara and the city has stumbled upon hurdles posed by Kerala water authority (KWA).
The project, which had been on the pipeline for long, was announced in the district panchayat budget presented last year.

District panchayat president V K Madhu said that KWA has expressed concerns regarding implementation of the project to establish a walkway and cycle track between Aruvikkara and Thiruvananthapuram.

This project has been a long-term demand by the cycling enthusiasts of the city.

The district panchayat in its budget for 2018-19 had mooted the scheme titled ‘Great Way’, which envisaged construction of walkway and cycle tracks over a distance of 12km.

In the news conference held at on Saturday after the presentation of district panchayat’s budget for 2019-20, district panchayat president V K Madhu said that the project could not be taken further due to objection from KWA.

“The officials have cited the possibilities of threat to distribution lines if the project is implemented. Until we get a green signal from KWA, we cannot take it forward,” said Madhu.

The city corporation has also conceived a similar project and it was decided that district panchayat and corporation would execute the scheme together. It had even included budget allocation for the scheme.

The district development committee had discussed the proposal in 2018. The project aims at developing Pipeline Road from city to Aruvikkara as an exclusive cycle track and walkway.

Pipeline Road is an unpaved road laid by KWA to lay huge a transmission pipeline in 1933, which connects Vellayambalam to Aruvikkara.

The cycle track is planned on the 12km stretch from Peroorkada to Aruvikkara, exempting several intersections in the stretch from Vellayambalam to Peroorkada.

KWA had earlier been apprehensive about the project. It had stressed the need for a survey to identify encroachments along the road which was earmarked for the proposal.

Heavy vehicles are not allowed entry on the road to prevent damage to pipes laid underneath the road.

Three major transmission lines and various distribution lines are laid at 1m depth under the road.

KWA had earlier approached district administration regarding eviction of encroachers from the stretch. The district administration, however, responded that it faced dearth of funds to carry out a survey.

According to officials, even if the project is to be implemented, encroachers along the distance of over 10km will have to be evicted and revenue land has to be marked by the department concerned. It also needs to be seen whether land acquisition would be required at certain points.