Metro: Land acquisition to be completed next month

Kochi: The works on extension of Kochi Metro from

SN Junction

to Tripunithura would begin soon as the revenue authorities are expected to complete the procedures of acquisition of 2.38 hectares of land by next month. The government issued a primary notification for the acquisition of an additional land in Kanayannur taluk on December 28, after the social impact assessment (SIA) study conducted by the Rajagiri Outreach showed green signal for the acquisition. The revenue officials who are in-charge of the acquisition have informed that the process is in final stage as the distribution of the compensation amount has already begun. “We have distributed compensation to 17 of the total 80 land owners and are planning to distribute the compensation to remaining people by this month end. It is expected that the land would be handed over to KMRL by next month,” said the revenue official. KMRL is planning to extend the Metro rail to

SN Junction from Petta

station as Phase 1(A) extension and from SN Junction to Tripunithura railway station as Phase 1 (B) extension. While the former goes through the road from Petta to SN Junction, the latter would be implemented as an elevated corridor. Revenue authorities have informed that they are acquiring only required land for building an elevated viaduct and Metro station under Phase 1 (B). There were demands from the part of local residents for a road connectivity from SN Junction to Tripunithura railway station using the land to be acquired for erecting Metro pillars. But the demand was not addressed.As the notification for the additional land acquisition has been issued, the land owned by a single person residing in Nadama village also would begin soon. “A small portion of land in the Nadama village was not acquired in the first phase. That portion also is going to be acquired through the present notification,” said the revenue official.