What is the purpose of national highways in Kerala?
June 22nd, 2008
When it comes to road infrastructure, Kerala is lagging behind other states. Marxist party was opposing the national highway expansion program since they were against toll collection on the highways. As usual common sense came 2 years later and they mysteriously changed their stance and said tolls are good for the people. So after a delay of almost 2 years, national highway expansion (NH47) has started in Kerala.
Currently NH47 between Palakkadu to Angamaly is being expanded to a 4lane highway(some say it is 6 lane, but nowhere I saw it 6 lane wide) and the project is encountering problems from all sides. Local population is being brainwashed by a small minority who has commercial interests against the national highway. On top of that there are corrupt officials in NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) who is trying to make some money out of all this. For them delaying the project is a good way for extended bribe.
Recently project director for NHAI in Palakkad (B Venugopal) was arrested by CBI. He was demanding a sum of Rs. 1.5 lakhs from a hotel owner who needed no objection certificate. Corruption is now spreading its tentacles to the top and the fact that Venugopal is an intelligent engineer from IIT shows how deep it has gone into our society.
Coming back to the expanded highway, it may seem funny but there are 3 flyovers in a stretch of about 10 kilometers (chalakkudy area)! The NHAI vision here is to prevent highway crossings. Vehicles and people randomly cross highway and it is single major reason why there are so many accidents on the highway.
Yet there are idiotic elements in and around Chalakkudy who are trying everything to sabotage the highway expansion plan. They want highway crossings, they want extension of flyovers, they want the road to be "narrowed" where some of them have business interests. Now this is going to be repeated when the highway will be extended up to Trivandrum. Everywhere petty politicians and local trouble makers will try to sabotage the project.
I think government needs to deal with this firmly. They should not take anything other than the feasibility and long term viability of national highways into consideration. If there is a house or a shop, compensate the owner and relocate him. No compromise and no talks with locals is the only solution, otherwise this will drag on for years
Here is my advice for central government and NHAI. If Kerala state doesn’t want a highway or is not ready to accept the conditions implemented elsewhere, just stop the project. I am sure malayalis will come begging for the highways in the future. Don’t worry, we are used to it.
Chalakkudy and Irinjalakkuda are famous for its sabotage history. The Irinjalakkuda railway station is a classic example. It is located in a non accessible area because at the time of railway construction locals got it diverted away from Irinjalakkuda city! So even today the railway station is in bad shape and people struggle daily to reach there!
Another recent case was the railway fly over near Irinjalakkuda. But luckily that was executed even after strong local opposition. The reason for protest? - Some people will loose their business located near the railway crossings! There are also cases of people opposing installation of mobile phone towers even when there is no house for about 1km radius! (In Trivandrum city my house is located about 20 metres from a mobile tower!)
It appears almost everyone in Chalakkudy is protesting for something. Some people want to sabotage the athirappally power generation project (government should cut electricity to their homes) and some are protesting against national highways saying that it is for the rich and some others are protesting that chalakkudy highway junction is going to disappear and yet some others are protesting that expansion will affect their business. Now the agitation has spread to Muringoor where the locals are demanding yet another highway crossing. They are going to block the highway with this demand.
I guess very few realize the importance of national highways and the need to convert it into a 6 lane highway. 90% of goods that we consume are transported through this highway (you will be amazed at the sheer number of lorries that ply in this route). The traffic is so high and the road is so narrow, there are daily accidents between Palakkad and Angamaly stretch. In the near future, even a 6 lane will be insufficient.
It is very sad to see that as a democracy we are failing our future generations. We divert a road just to benefit one single individual at the cost of millions of others using the road. Politicians with no intelligence and vision, the entry of idiots into politics and local panchayats etc. are pushing us backward. In 20 years, when it comes to infrastructure, Kerala will be the last state.
PS: Near my home there is a colony of about 100 houses. But the road leading to it is so narrow that even car can barely get into it. Once a small kid was walking with his father on this road and a car came. They had to almost stick themselves to the wall to let the car pass through. Then the kid asked his father - "acha, enthu konda ee roadinu veethi illathey? (why is this road so narrow?)" to which his father(who was obviously angry since the car came so close) replied - "athu nammude mandan muthachanmar cheytha paripadiya (this road is built by our stupid ancestors)".
And I am sure we will also be considered as idiots by the coming generations for not having the vision for even 10 years ahead.
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June 22nd, 2008 at 1:59 pm
This is the worst dystopian reportage i have came across a recent while. While arguing for roads, you have to consider a fact. Kerala is one of the most densely populated states in India and it is not an illusion that available space is very less. When ever a developmental project which requires a lot space is devised, it is very natural that you find uprisings and mass sabotage working against them. In some sort you can devise a very tangible relation to the nature of these struggles to those happening against the proposed SEZs. The mere difference i find is that the latter happens in the hinterlands and this in relatively small towns.
In both cases, it is more about livelihoods,it will be damn difficult for an average family to rebuild their lives all over again and that too when housing seems to be the primary concern for an average Malayali.
Kerala has excellent scope of improving its water ways, the same lobbies which are in favor of the high way projects are the ones who are severely sabotaging any thoughts about such a venture. If you check the national statistics, that shows kerala is the best connected with tarmac roads and it is well ahead that many other states. That means we can cope with these roads for quite a while, if we can change our goods movement entirely through water ways, the amount of pollution can definitely be reduced and it will increase the scope of our tourism too. Netherlands govt had conducted a study regarding this and were willing to help us in this respect. As always the same of kind of sabotage you are accusing the people of was conducted by very vested interest and they are some how called the “mannu lobby”!!
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
in chennai you got to see the way they expanded the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) aka the IT corridor. There were many shops and establishments on the road sides. they were demolished or moved. the project started during Jayalalitha’s regime and continued under MK. It is now a beautiful stretch and 6 lane
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:07 pm
The Angamaly-Palakkad stretch must be the worst highway stretch in India, wrt traffic load and width, plying time and quality of the tarmac. Its a nightmare covering that stretch, but the other parts of Kerala seems to be catching up quickly.
I dont think this is a problem only in Chalakkudy-Irkda, we could see specimen all across the state. Keralites will pay the price, big time, for not building an access controlled highway along the lengths. There is not much help widening the exixting highway, just look at Angamaly-Edappally-Arror for example. You could argue this is because of the presence of the Kochi UA, but it wont be long before the whole of the state experience such scenarios.
When you come across a big town/city every 70km in Kerala, how could we depend just on 4 lane roads and bypasses to streamline the heavy traffic?? Beats me…
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:07 pm
@scorpiogenius,
True, access controlled highways is the only long term solution. But in a state, where even road widening is met with so much opposition do you think it is possible?
June 24th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
to disrupt a road widening, our guys are the best. just file a writ in the court and get a stay.
June 26th, 2008 at 11:08 am
The roads in Kerala are very narrow. the contractors don’t stick to the national and international standards of road width and officials are also not bothered. See the bypass road in Trivandrum - It has just the width of 2 buses touching each other!!!
July 18th, 2008 at 11:20 am
We want 4 lane road from Kesavadasapuram to Chavadimukku with enough road shoulder, immediately.