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From: Regi P George <george_regi@yahoo.com> Date: Mon Aug 16, 2004 Subject: Opinion divided on Express Highway Opinion divided on Express Highway By Roy Mathew A map showing the proposed Express Highway. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG. 15. The `great wall' that would divide the State may be fiction, but the proposed Express Highway has indeed divided public opinion. Fears about the impact of the 507-km access-controlled high-speed corridor from north to south of Kerala have been voiced by environmentalists and others. Concerns range from the impact on the water regime to the rich-poor divide. The Minister for Public Works, M.K. Muneer, however, defends the project strongly. `Contention baseless' In an informal chat with presspersons recently, Dr. Muneer said that the contention that a seven-metre-high Express Highway would divide Kerala was baseless. It would be only slightly above the ground in most places. According to project proposals published by the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala, the connectivity between regions on the east and west of the Express Highway is proposed to be maintained by providing 19 interchanges, 343 underpasses, 68 overpasses and 565 pedestrian and cattle passes. There will be a crossing at every 500 metres on an average. It proposes drains and irrigation channels with adequate cross- drainage structures to avoid the possibility of waterlogging along low- lying areas. Environmental impact Dr. Muneer admitted that the impact on water bodies and systems and the rehabilitation of evictees would be the major problems. A detailed project report, which would be ready in five months, would address these issues, he said. Measures were being proposed to remedy the negative impacts on the environment. Hence, the overall impact would be much less than the cumulative environmental impact of the unplanned development of roads and other structures in the State, he said. Rehabilitation would be part of the project unlike in the case of acquisition of land for national highways, he added. Better alternative Experts say that public transportation, especially through rail, would be a better alternative to road transport as it would be cheaper and more environment-friendly. However, a mismatch between vehicle availability and road infrastructure is growing in the State. This can lead to jams along national highways in 10 or 20 years. So, either the growth of vehicles has to be checked or better roads developed to meet future needs. Studies have shown that the widening of existing national highways beyond the current limits is not economical or feasible as both sides are heavily built. Though the Railways may have advantages, this may not be the case as far as the construction phase is concerned. Dr. Muneer pointed out that construction of the Konkan Railway had caused significant environmental impact. He told The Hindu that while there was considerable leeway in changing the alignment in the case of the Express Highway to avoid environmental impact that would not be the case with the railway lines. Public hearing There would be a public hearing on the environmental impact of the Express Highway before a committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forest clears the project. He said that those not using the Express Highway would not be taxed for the project. No cess on petrol or diesel was proposed to finance the project, he added. http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/16/stories/2004081608470400.htm ---------------------------------------------------- (2) Dear Guru, thanks for sharing this news. It shows how consertaive/fundamentalist parties (by any names) are bent on maintaining status quo-- and the BJP in India seems to be the most determined at it. Take care, Jai "Jai Birdi" <jpbirdi@hotmail.com> >Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 Dalit MLA prevented from hoisting Tricolour on I-Day HT Correspondent Damoh, August 16 A Dalit MLA of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Madhya Pradesh was prevented from unfurling the tricolour in a function on the Independence Day on Sunday. Sona Bai, an MLA of Patharia Assembly segment in Damoh district was manhandled too. When contacted, she told Hindustan Times over phone that Janpad president Raghuveer Singh and policemen did not allow her to hoist the national flag after her name was announced from the dais. "They called me Chamaria and also manhandled me," she alleged, adding, " I have received injury on my right hand." Clarifying that she had not gone to the function on her own, the MLA said the decision that she would hoist national flag was taken at a meeting on August 9. "After the incident, I tried my level best to get a complaint registered with the police, but the Town Inspector and Sub Divisional Magistrate turned me away. If these police and revenue officers are behaving in such a manner with an MLA, what they would be doing with the common people?'' she wondered. Sona Bai informed that she has spoken to Chief Minister Uma Bharti on phone who assured to take action against the guilty. After hearing about the incident, Damoh Collector Sandeep Saxena rushed to Patharia and recorded statement of the MLA and others late in the night on Sunday. Saxena told Hindustan Times that if the allegations of the MLA in his inquiry were found to be true, he would take stern action against the persons who prevented Sona Bai from hoisting national flag. |
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August17, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]Victory of the Hostel students' movement >> |
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