Thiruvananthapuram : The proposed outer ring road ( ORR ) from Vizhinjam to Navaikulam in the capital district has overcome most of its initial challenges but the decision to limit the width of this industrial corridor to just 45m, including service roads, has sparked criticism from various quarters. Originally, the project was envisioned with a width of 100m, which was later reduced to 70m, then 60m. Despite the state govt's earlier decision to maintain a 60-metre-width, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) suggested reducing it to 45m, citing land acquisition complications as the reason.
The state govt subsequently endorsed this proposal. Experts pointed out that the reduced width is unscientific and undermines the very purpose of the ORR before the project even begins. Anil Kumar Pandala, a road safety expert and former MD of the Thiruvananthapuram Road Development Company Ltd, who initially conceived the project, expressed concerns that the 30-metre-wide main road and 7.
5-metre-wide service roads would be insufficient. He said the ORR is intended as an industrial corridor, not just a bypass, and that service roads should be at least 11m wide to accommodate container trucks. Pandala noted that he initially proposed a 100-metre-width, which was subsequently reduced multiple times, but insisted that anything less than 60m would not meet the corridor's intended purpose, particularly with the anticipated industrial growth following the full operation of Vizhinjam port.
SN Reghuchandran Nair, president of the Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry), said the state govt had to compromise with the central govt on the ORR’s width. The Union govt, which agreed to bear the cost of land acquisition, insisted on a maximum width of 45m to limit expenses, forcing the state govt to comply. “The ORR, designed as a rapid transit corridor, needs a more forward-looking approach, and a 45-m-width is inadequate,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NHAI has expedited the land acquisition process. “Land acquisition will resume shortly and will be completed without delay, although we are still awaiting the signed order from the state govt," said BL Meena, regional officer for Kerala, NHAI. He added that about 40% of the preliminary land acquisition work is complete in 11 villages.
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Lack of feasibility studies and escalating costs risk these projects becoming wasteful expenditures..
