Railway Tunnel Project: Public Hearing on Land Acquisition Resumes Oct 14

24 Sep 2024 CW Team

During the previous hearing, significant concerns were raised by the landowners, particularly regarding the tunnel's exit points. This led officials from Vizhinjam International Seaport (VISL) to organise another session that will include a detailed visual demonstration of the land acquisition process and the tunnel's alignment to provide a clearer understanding to those affected. As many as 19 families may lose their homes due to the land acquisition.

Sreekumar K Nair, the CEO of VISL, stated that they would reconvene the public hearing in Vizhinjam to ensure all concerns are addressed. He noted that a pictorial presentation would be provided, as requested by the landowners, emphasising their commitment to listening to all worries and proceeding with the acquisition only after alleviating those fears.

In total, two acres of land will be acquired on the Vizhinjam side, while 11 acre will be taken on the Balaramapuram side near the railway station. The public hearing for land acquisition in Balaramapuram was completed last month, and the landowners there have largely accepted the process. However, the situation in Vizhinjam is more complex due to the potential impact on local fishermen's livelihoods, which has prompted the Vizhinjam diocese to intervene on behalf of the community.

In addition to addressing concerns in Vizhinjam, VISL is also exploring the possibility of establishing a container rail terminal (CRT) either at Balaramapuram or Neyyattinkara railway station. Discussions with Southern Railways are currently in the preliminary stages, particularly as land acquisition for the Thiruvananthapuram-Parassala railway doubling project is ongoing. The state government is expected to grant administrative sanction for the railway connectivity in an upcoming cabinet meeting. The project has already received environmental clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change two months ago, and approximately 5 hectares of land at Balaramapuram will need to be acquired for the approach road to the railway station.

The public hearing for landowners in Vizhinjam, who will be giving up their land for the proposed railway tunnel project, is scheduled to reconvene on October 14. This tunnel will connect the Vizhinjam International Seaport to the Balaramapuram railway station. During the previous hearing, significant concerns were raised by the landowners, particularly regarding the tunnel's exit points. This led officials from Vizhinjam International Seaport (VISL) to organise another session that will include a detailed visual demonstration of the land acquisition process and the tunnel's alignment to provide a clearer understanding to those affected. As many as 19 families may lose their homes due to the land acquisition. Sreekumar K Nair, the CEO of VISL, stated that they would reconvene the public hearing in Vizhinjam to ensure all concerns are addressed. He noted that a pictorial presentation would be provided, as requested by the landowners, emphasising their commitment to listening to all worries and proceeding with the acquisition only after alleviating those fears. In total, two acres of land will be acquired on the Vizhinjam side, while 11 acre will be taken on the Balaramapuram side near the railway station. The public hearing for land acquisition in Balaramapuram was completed last month, and the landowners there have largely accepted the process. However, the situation in Vizhinjam is more complex due to the potential impact on local fishermen's livelihoods, which has prompted the Vizhinjam diocese to intervene on behalf of the community. In addition to addressing concerns in Vizhinjam, VISL is also exploring the possibility of establishing a container rail terminal (CRT) either at Balaramapuram or Neyyattinkara railway station. Discussions with Southern Railways are currently in the preliminary stages, particularly as land acquisition for the Thiruvananthapuram-Parassala railway doubling project is ongoing. The state government is expected to grant administrative sanction for the railway connectivity in an upcoming cabinet meeting. The project has already received environmental clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change two months ago, and approximately 5 hectares of land at Balaramapuram will need to be acquired for the approach road to the railway station.

Infrastructure Urban

05 Nov 2025

TBO Tek Q2 Profit Climbs 12%, Revenue Surges 26% YoY

TBO Tek Limited one of the world’s largest travel distribution platforms, reported a solid performance for Q2 FY26 with a 26 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue to Rs 5.68 billion, reflecting broad-based growth and improving profitability.The company recorded a Gross Transaction Value (GTV) of Rs 8,901 crore, up 12 per cent YoY, driven by strong performance across Europe, MEA, and APAC regions. Adjusted EBITDA before acquisition-related costs stood at Rs 1.04 billion, up 16 per cent YoY, translating into an 18.32 per cent margin compared to 16.56 per cent in Q1 FY26. Profit after tax r..

Infrastructure Energy

05 Nov 2025

Northern Graphite, Rain Carbon Secure R&D Grant for Greener Battery Materials

Northern Graphite Corporation and Rain Carbon Canada Inc, a subsidiary of Rain Carbon Inc, have jointly received up to C$860,000 (€530,000) in funding under the Canada–Germany Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Programme to develop sustainable battery anode materials.The two-year, C$2.2 million project aims to transform natural graphite processing by-products into high-performance, battery-grade anode material (BAM). Supported by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Programme (NRC IRAP) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs a..

Infrastructure Urban

05 Nov 2025

Antony Waste Q2 Revenue Jumps 16%; Subsidiary Wins Rs 3,200 Cr WtE Projects

Antony Waste Handling Cell Limited (AWHCL), a leading player in India’s municipal solid waste management sector, announced a 16 per cent year-on-year increase in total operating revenue to Rs 2.33 billion for Q2 FY26. The growth was driven by higher waste volumes, escalated contracts, and strong operational execution.EBITDA rose 18 per cent to Rs 570 million, with margins steady at 21.6 per cent, while profit after tax stood at Rs 173 million, up 13 per cent YoY. Revenue from Municipal Solid Waste Collection and Transportation (MSW C&T) reached Rs 1.605 billion, and MSW Processing re..