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The public hearing for land acquisition related to the proposed railway tunnel project connecting the Vizhinjam International Seaport and Balaramapuram railway station will resume on October 14. This session is specifically for landowners in Vizhinjam, who are expected to give up their land for the project.
The previous hearing raised concerns from landowners about the tunnel’s exit points, prompting officials from Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL) to schedule another meeting. During this session, VISL will present a detailed visual explanation of the land acquisition process and tunnel alignment to address these concerns. Nineteen families in Vizhinjam could potentially lose their homes due to the acquisition.
“We are committed to addressing the concerns of the landowners. A visual presentation will be provided to give them a better understanding of the project. We will proceed with land acquisition only after resolving their issues,” said VISL CEO Sreekumar K Nair.
On the Vizhinjam side, two acres of land will be acquired, while on the Balaramapuram side, 11 acres will be taken near the railway station. While landowners in Balaramapuram have largely accepted the process following a completed hearing last month, the situation in Vizhinjam is more complicated due to its potential impact on local fishermen’s livelihoods. The Vizhinjam diocese has intervened on behalf of the affected community.
VISL is also considering establishing a container rail terminal (CRT) at either Balaramapuram or Neyyattinkara railway station, with discussions underway with Southern Railways. The project is part of the Thiruvananthapuram-Parassala railway doubling initiative, for which land acquisition is ongoing. The state government is expected to grant administrative sanction for the railway connection in an upcoming cabinet meeting.
The Rs 1,402 crore project, which will be executed by Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd under the EPC model, will feature 9.2 kilometers of underground railway out of a total of 10.7 kilometers. The entire project is expected to take four years to complete, and the state government is also exploring interim solutions to handle cargo traffic once the port becomes operational. |
