Joining the protests against Kerala government's proposed SilverLine semi high-speed rail, also known as K-Rail, eminent environmental activist Medha Patkar on Sunday requested Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to review the project.
Patkar, who spearheads the Narmada Bachao Andolan movement, was in Kochi to attend a private function. She said the K-Rail project has been designed without conducting proper environmental impact assessment, a concern raised by those opposing the project, including the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF).
“The rulers haven't yet understood the value of natural resources for people's lives and livelihoods. That's why we have to stand up wherever people raise questions with confidence and courage, come what may. K-Rail issue is also similar,” she told media.
“How much of environmental impact the project will cause is not known because it's not even studied. Neither the National Green Tribunal has accepted it nor the central government has given final approval for the project,” she said.
“I really appeal to Pinarayi Vijayan with folded hands. He can really review the project and improve the present railway system and oppose Modi government on the issue of privatisation of railway which will impact a number of employees,” she said.
Patkar will be visiting the areas in Calicut where the government has installed survey poles ahead of land acquisition.
She also pointed out the CPM's opposition to the Bullet train project in Mumbai.
Patkar has extended solidarity to the anti-K-Rail agitators even as Chief Minister Vijayan has launched an aggressive public outreach exercise to seek support for his pet project.
The Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited has
intensified its attempts to secure an overseas loan of Rs 33,670 crore, which comes to nearly half of the Rs 63,940 crore estimated total project cost.
Earlier, the central government gave permission to the state for going ahead with its moves to find foreign funding for the project after it gave in-principle nod for the project. So, there is no need for the state to wait
for the final approval of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) by the central government.
Apart from foreign funding, the Kerala government will spend Rs 18,150 crore on its own and the central government will chip in with Rs 6,313 crore. An amount of Rs 4,251 crore will have to be raised through the
shares from the public. The state government will have to find out Rs 1,525 crore for acquiring land for the purpose of land pooling.
SilverLine is billed as the biggest infrastructure project in Kerala's history. It is expected to reduce the travel time between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod to around four hours with a 530 km rail corridor enabling the movement of semi high-speed trains.
