Revenue officials in Ernakulam district have been asked to speed up land acquisition procedures for the State government’s coastal highway project. The officials were on Wednesday instructed to acquire and hand over the land for the stretch proposed between Vypeen and Munambam by March 2026, officials associated with the project said.
The instructions came up at a meeting of stakeholders, including a representative of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), at the collectorate on Wednesday. The meeting discussed the schedule to accelerate the process. According to the plan, survey works have to be finished by October 31.
“Simultaneously, valuation process will also have to be completed. Details of beneficiaries to be included in the rehabilitation and resettlement package are also being collected. We have been instructed to speed up all such works,” a Revenue official said.
“A total of 26 hectares have to be acquired for the second stretch. The area covers seven villages. Hearings will be held in due course to address complaints registered over land acquisition procedures,” the official added.
Survey procedures for the second stretch of the highway in the district have been going on since August 28. The government’s plan is to construct the second stretch before the first one proposed from South Chellanam to Fort Kochi. Notification is yet to be issued for land acquisition for the first stretch.
The 625-km highway project covering nine districts has been proposed at a cost of ₹6,500 crore. The highway running parallel to the existing national highway network will have a width of 14 metres. The Opposition UDF has raised concerns over the big-ticket project, saying it could displace lakhs of fisher families and upend their livelihoods.
Published – September 25, 2025 01:46 am IST
