T’puram: After prolonged delays, the proposed Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road (ORR) has moved a step closer to execution, with Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) submitting its environmental impact assessment (EIA) report to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Friday.The report pertains to the revised alignment of the project, which now incorporates tunnels through ecologically sensitive hilly stretches, an alteration aimed at minimizing environmental damage and addressing earlier concerns over large-scale hill cutting. NHAI will use the report to initiate the process of obtaining fresh environmental clearance from Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change. Before applying for central clearance, NHAI is required to secure consent from state pollution control board. As part of this process, a public hearing is expected to be conducted next month. Besides, NHAI also secured approval for the soil test for the project. “The submission of EIA report is a crucial milestone. We are now preparing for the statutory public hearing and will soon approach pollution control board. Once that is completed, we can move ahead with application for environmental clearance from Centre,” an NHAI official said. The ambitious six-lane corridor, stretching about 65km from Vizhinjam to Navaikulam, is part of Centre’s Bharatmala Pariyojana and has been designated as a national highway (NH 866). The project is expected to decongest city roads and significantly improve connectivity to Vizhinjam International Seaport. However, the project has been stuck in regulatory hurdles for months. The earlier environmental clearance granted by State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for Vizhinjam-Thekkada stretch in 2023 became invalid after the project was reclassified as a national highway, necessitating fresh clearance from Centre for the entire stretch. The second phase, from Thekkada to Navaikulam, never received clearance from SEIAA, which cited jurisdictional limitations after the project’s elevation to a national highway. This created a bottleneck, stalling land acquisition, compensation and tendering processes. Meanwhile, the revised alignment with tunnels is seen as a critical intervention to address environmental concerns that had triggered opposition and delays. Geotechnical studies for these tunnel sections have already been completed, and the updated design is expected to streamline approvals. Despite the latest progress, concerns remain among stakeholders and affected residents. Action council convener S Chandramohan Nair said the authorities must ensure transparency and protect local interests. “While we welcome any forward movement, the process must be transparent. The concerns of landowners and environmental safeguards cannot be overlooked in the rush to secure clearances,” he said. The project is planned under a hybrid public-private partnership model and has received approval from Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC), a key central body that evaluates large infrastructure proposals.
