The proposed Rs 8,398-crore Greenfield Outer Ring Road connecting Navaikulam and Vizhinjam in Kerala has received environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, clearing a major hurdle for the long-delayed project.
The 62.7-kilometre project, to be implemented by the National Highways Authority of India, will pass through 24 villages across six taluks — Varkala, Chirayinkeezhu, Nedumangad, Kattakada, Neyyattinkara and Thiruvananthapuram.
The project is expected to be completed within 30 months. The disbursement of land acquisition compensation and the tendering process are expected to proceed simultaneously.
Around 314 hectares of land will be acquired for the project, including 93.6 percent private land and 6.39 percent government land. The land acquisition cost is estimated at Rs 4,129 crore. The proposed right of way is 45 metres, widening to between 60 and 80 metres at tunnels, slip roads and their approaches.
The project involves significant engineering structures, including around 17 tunnels, 50 viaducts, 17 minor bridges and two major bridges. The viaducts will have a combined length of nearly 11.97 kilometres.
Environmental concerns have been a major consideration in the project. Around 21,000 trees are likely to be felled, while NHAI has proposed planting approximately 2.10 lakh trees. Due to space constraints, NHAI has proposed plantation in forest areas as deposit work, subject to approval from the Forest Department. Miyawaki plantations are also planned at the cloverleaf interchange.
A biodiversity assessment by the Kerala Forest Research Institute identified 84 potentially vulnerable species and several roadkill hotspots along the proposed alignment. Seven Schedule-I species were identified, including the Crested Goshawk, Crested Hawk-Eagle, Black-headed Ibis, Spectacled Cobra, Russell’s Viper, Indian Rock Python and Bengal Monitor Lizard.
KFRI has proposed a Rs 1.27-crore conservation plan to mitigate the project’s impact on biodiversity. The proposed safeguards include wildlife underpasses, viaducts, fencing, speed restrictions, warning signs, animal detection systems, carcass removal and vegetation management.
The Environment Ministry has directed NHAI to implement the mitigation measures recommended by KFRI. It has also asked the authority to re-examine the tunnel design and explore the possibility of reducing the tunnel lengths.
The environmental clearance is expected to enable the project to move forward with land compensation and tendering, bringing the proposed Vizhinjam–Navaikulam Outer Ring Road closer to construction.
