Kochi: Ernakulam district collector Mohammad Y. Saffirulla has ruled out the possibility of an elevated highway at the 23.5-km Edapally-Muthukunnam stretch of the NH-66 due to the high cost. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mr Safirulla said elevated highway will cost Rs 95.14 cr per km as against Rs 34.59 cr per km for the four-lane highway.
He also said the elevated highway will also require land acquisition at 45-metre width. Apart from that elevated highways will require construction of ramps at five km each for vehicles to enter the service roads.
He refuted the campaign that the compensation for the people losing their land will be as per the National Highway Act 1956. The compensation and rehabilitation package will be based on the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Act of 2013 and according to the rules framed for the purpose in 2015. He also refuted the campaign that environment impact assessment has not been conducted for the project.
The national highway projects needed not undergo EIA and social impact assessment, he said, and added that NH projects are exempted from such requirements.
