Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari (image:facebook.com/nitingadkary)

New Delhi: The Centre told in Parliament that the government wants to move forward with the Vizhinjam-Navaikkulam Outer Ring Road (ORR) project but problem exists in current alignment and design. This information was shared by Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday (July 31), in response to the starred question raised by Lok Sabha MP Adoor Prakash.

Minister said that Detailed Project Report (DPR) for ORR is complete. The project’s initial alignment, based on a state government study, is currently under review. This review is happening in consultation with the state government. The review aims to minimise hill cutting and avoid ecological damage, Minister added.

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“While the Government is conscious of the need to take the project forward, the problems in the existing alignment and design arising from extensive hill cutting and consequent possible ecological damage are being addressed in consultation with the State Government,” Gadkari stated in Lok Sabha.

As Lok Sabha MP stressed about the difficulties faced by the landowners because of delay in getting compensation, Minister replied that compensation will be paid once the Competent Authority approves the project. The compensation amount is determined by the National Highway Act of 1956 and it also follows the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act of 2013, the Minister added.

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The 78 km ORR, once completed, will ease traffic congestion in Thiruvananthapuram and connect major hubs such as Vizhinjam port and NH-66 at Navaikulam. While the southern section (Vizhinjam to Thekkada) gained environmental clearance in 2023, the northern part continues to face regulatory and bureaucratic obstacles, Times of India reports.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government recently issued a two-month ultimatum to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to complete land acquisition and compensation disbursal for the Thiruvananthapuram ORR.