The planting of survey poles as part of the Social Impact Assessment of SilverLine has been temporarily halted across Kerala on Friday. The laying of boundary markers, which had triggered widespread protests, is being carried out in six districts: Kottayam, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Kasaragod.

However, a top Kerala Rail Development Corporation Ltd (K-Rail) official told Onmanorama that no such direction has been issued. The official also said that there was no instruction from the government to temporarily halt the survey work to avoid further provocation. 

 

Though K-Rail is officially reluctant to acknowledge the stoppage of work, it is a fact that there has been no survey-related work in any of the five districts. When this was pointed out, the official said: "This may be due to local site conditions."

Families  facing the threat of displacement, backed by strident members of opposition political parties, had been thwarting all attempts by K-Rail officials to plant survey stones. The huge presence of the police has also not worked as a deterrent. Amid the mounting protess, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had even declared that his government would go ahead with the work on the project.

This unofficial pause on the work has come a day after the Chief Minister's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. 

Sources also reveal that the agency conducting the survey, Kerala Voluntary Health Services, has asked for more time to complete the survey. The K-Rail official, however, said he would have to check whether such a request had indeed come. It is said that the agency was concerned about the safety of their staff. The agency has asked for more effective police protection if the survey was to be completed by the end of April. 

Kerala has been witnessing massive agitations against the Left government's flagship SilverLine project in various quarters since Monday.

Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Thrissur witnessed protests against the project on Thursday. The authorities were forced to suspend the survey process temporarily in a few areas in Kottayam, Ernakulam and Malappuram districts on Thursday.

Inaugurating a mass protest organised by K-Rail SiverLine Virudha Janakeeya Samithi in front of the secretariat, noted environmental activist Medha Patkar asked the central leadership of the CPI(M) to look into every aspect related to the project.

The SilverLine project, expected to reduce travel time from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod to around four hours, is being opposed by the Congress-led UDF and the BJP, which have been alleging that it is unscientific and impractical besides putting a huge financial burden on the state.

The CPI(M)-led LDF government contended that the UDF and BJP were anti-development.

The government said the project would be beneficial for future generations, would result in economic development and reduce carbon emissions every year by around 2.8 lakh tonnes. Therefore, the LDF said, everyone should come together to make the rail corridor a reality.

The 530-km stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod would be developed by K-Rail a joint venture of the Kerala government and the Ministry of Railways.