T’puram: The proposed Thiruvananthapuram outer ring road (ORR), connecting Vizhinjam and Navaikulam, is set to clear a major regulatory hurdle, with the expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change reportedly recommending environmental clearance for the project at its meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, said sources.The recommendation, however, is yet to be officially confirmed. Officials of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said the agency would be able to confirm the decision only after the official minutes of the EAC meeting are received.The development is significant for the project, which has been held up by environmental and land acquisition issues. The proposed greenfield highway, designated as NH 866, is envisaged as a high-speed, access-controlled corridor linking Vizhinjam International Seaport with NH 66 at Navaikulam. The project is aimed at easing congestion in the capital city and creating better connectivity to the port and emerging growth centres around the capital city.ORR action council convener S Chandramohan Nair said he had received information from reliable sources, that the EAC had recommended environmental clearance.The EAC had deferred consideration of the clearance last month, seeking greater clarity over the geological and safety aspects of the revised alignment, particularly after the landslip incident associated with the under-construction Anakkampoyil-Kalladi twin-tunnel project in Wayanad. The panel had felt that the Wayanad incident warranted closer scrutiny of tunnel construction in Kerala’s hilly terrain.Following the deferment, NHAI submitted clarifications to the authorities regarding the revised ORR alignment. According to sources, NHAI maintained that the terrain along the proposed alignment was different from the conditions at the Wayanad tunnel site and that there were no comparable geological issues. The revised design incorporates tunnels and other engineering measures to reduce extensive hill cutting and minimise environmental impact. Earlier studies had identified several stretches where conventional hill cutting could have caused greater ecological disturbance.The project had already undergone a prolonged environmental clearance process. The southern portion had received clearance earlier, while the northern stretch from Thekkada to Navaikulam became the major bottleneck after the state-level environmental authority declined to process the proposal, holding that the national highway project required clearance from the Centre.Kerala Forest Research Institute subsequently prepared an updated environmental impact assessment for the revised alignment, while public consultations and geotechnical studies were undertaken as part of the fresh clearance process. The revised alignment incorporates tunnels through environmentally sensitive hilly stretches, with the objective of reducing hill cutting.The ORR is expected to span roughly 63 to 80 km, depending on the final alignment and project configuration, and pass through several suburban and semi-urban areas including Balaramapuram, Malayinkeezhu, Nedumangad, Vembayam and Mangalapuram. The project has been under consideration for several years as part of the capital region development programme and the Centre’s Bharatmala highway programme.For thousands of affected landowners, the EAC recommendation could mark a crucial breakthrough. More than 6,400 families have been affected by land acquisition proceedings, with compensation delayed amid the prolonged approval process. Kerala High Court had also taken note of the difficulties faced by landowners and sought assurances regarding completion of the pending formalities for compensation.However, officials said the exact environmental safeguards, conditions and compliance requirements attached to Thursday’s recommendation would be known only after the EAC minutes are formally issued. NHAI is expected to examine the minutes before making an official statement on the clearance.
