Samiti seeks changes in Silver Line alignment

Workers of the Samskarika Paithruka Samiti (SPS) staged a dharna at Eraviperoor, near Thiruvalla, on Friday, demanding an environment-friendly and people-friendly alignment for the Kochuveli-Kasaragod semi-high speed rail corridor Silver Line.

Inaugurating the protest, district panchayat vice-president George Mammen Kondoor said the existing alignment of the proposed high-speed rail project passed through the highly flood-prone areas of Arattupuzha, Koipram, and Eraviperoor on the river basins of Pampa and Manimala.

Mr. Kondoor said the planners should take serious note of the fact that these areas had been flooded to a depth of more than 9.5 m in the deluge of August, 2018. The existing alignment of the proposed rail project would invite huge flood threat to these heavily populated areas of Pathanamthitta district, he said.

Ironically, as per the present plan, Pathanamthitta was the only district that did not have any stop for trains, he alleged.

Mr. Kondoor said the alignment should be made parallel to the existing rail line passing through Thiruvalla town, besides allotting stop to all trains at the Thiruvalla railway station.

Addressing the protesters, Anto Antony, MP, said there was no question of permitting land acquisition for the project without obtaining prior permission from the affected parties.