Thiruvananthapuram: Progress report 2023

The Rs 7,700-crore Vizhinjam seaport, the mega infrastructure project of the state, is inching closer to reality. In October, Kerala witnessed a historic moment when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed the first ship at Vizhinjam port. The then minister for Ports Ahammad Devarkovil announced that the first phase of the port will be completed and dedicated to the country by next April.

The actual deadline for the commissioning of the project was 2019. Owing to several issues, the project was delayed, and the new deadline set by the government is December 2024. Vizhinjam also witnessed violent protests when fisherfolks protested against the project.

The Rs 4,871-crore Outer Ring Road (ORR) Project, which proposes the development and renovation of 49. 7km of road, continues to be in limbo. The ORR project under the CRDP II got in-principle approval in 2018 from the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways.

According to officials of NHAI, the work on the DPR is currently underway and it will be completed within four to six months. The project will take off only when the disagreement over the fund sharing between the state and Centre gets sorted, says an official. The ministry has included the project under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

The 80-kilometre-long six-lane ring road will interconnect NH 66, state highways, and MC Road beginning from Parippally in the north to Andoorkonam, Vattapara, Aruvikkara, Ooruttambalam, Balaramapuram and Vizhinjam bypass. Meanwhile, the NHAI and the revenue department have initiated land acquisition procedures to facilitate the project. The smart road works taken up by the Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL) have turned into a never-ending and harrowing experience for the citizens of the state capital.

Inordinate delays in the execution of the road works, shutting down of roads for months to facilitate construction, and unscientifically planned works continue to make lives hell for citizens and motorists alike. It’s been three years since the project, aimed at making major stretches in the capital smart, was launched. Even now, the work continues to drag on, messing up the traffic and the daily lives of citizens.

The 427-crore smart road project aims to upgrade around 46km of the city roads. The actual deadline for the project was February 2023. As many as 20 roads of 9.

87km length comprising nine wards come under the corporation. Twenty kilometers of 40 roads come under the Public Works Department, while 16 kilometers come under the Kerala Road Fund Board. The Metrorail project remains a distant dream for the people of Thiruvananthapuram.

Besides the decision to implement a conventional metro akin to the one implemented in Kochi, the project has not progressed much. During the previous term, the LDF government had granted administrative sanctions for the proposed light metro projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. Following this, the Kerala Rapid Transit Corporation Ltd submitted the revised DPR in February 2021.

Later, the state government decided to task the Kochi Metro Rail Project (KMRL) as the implementing agency for all metro projects in the state. Loknath Behera, managing director of KMRL, told that the geotechnical survey is underway, and the revised DPR will be ready by mid-January 2024. The DPR will be submitted for approval from the state and the Centre.

The year 2023 witnessed the launch of the first-ever nightlife project in Kerala in the state capital. Manaveeyam Veedhi — the designated cultural corridor — was reopened after a major facelift as a nightlife center of the capital. There has been a long-pending demand of youngsters and technologists for a vibrant nightlife.

Though the initial plan was to launch nightlife at Kanakakunnu, owing to protests and legal hurdles, the project couldn’t take off. After the launch of the nightlife, Manaveeyam Veedhi also witnessed recurring brawls and violent clashes, necessitating the police to make several arrests. However, the state government has decided to go ahead with the nightlife and keep the Manaveeyam Veedhi open till 5 am with strict regulations.

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