SEIAA gives clearance to outer ring road plan in Thiruvananthapuram

The state’s environmental effect assessment authority (SEIAA) has granted environmental clearance (EC) for the proposed outer ring road. The state expert appraisal committee (SEAC) had suggested that the project be granted EC. The Capital Region Development Project (CRDP)-II, proposed by the state government, calls for the construction of the outer ring road (ORR).

The SEIAA considered the proposal in its latest meeting and noted the decisions of various state expert appraisal committee meetings. It noticed that the SEAC had appraised the proposal based on evaluation report, documents on public hearing, environmental and social impact assessment report and other documents obtained from the project proponent during appraisal.

In addition to basic conditions, the state expert appraisal group had proposed EC for a period of 10 years with certain specific conditions. According to the SEIAA meeting minutes, the body also voted to grant environmental clearance for a period of ten years with a number of particular criteria in addition to general ones. Wherever possible, it has been ordered that the rules for applying green building certification and rating systems to structures should be followed.

According to the state's environment impact assessment authority's list of requirements for EC, compensatory afforestation for the trees removed from the alignment and other project-related areas should be carried out, and a specific and appropriate management plan should be adopted to address the impact on water bodies and low-lying areas along the proposed project.

A ring road connecting the roads of Mangalapuram, Thekkada, and Vizhinjam makes the proposed project. There are 15 years left in the project. Also, in the general growth, special investment regions are being planned. A 77.77-kilometre corridor is envisioned for the proposed road. The southern ring, which will run from Mangalapuram to Thekkada to Vizhinjam, will be 47.97 km long, while the northern ring will be 29.8 km long (Navaikulam - Thekkada). The four-lane highway will need 70 m of right-of-way, or roughly 375 hectares.