For the Pinarayi Vijayan government, the Semi-High-Speed Train Project between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod is its showcase project. But the thousands who would be displaced by the project are dumbstruck by the unfairness of the ambition. Here, they are taking on the project, not with blind emotions but with science, logic and common sense. Onmanorama hopes the State Government or the Ministry of Railways would be responsible enough to respond and put these fears to rest.
Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) a joint venture of the Kerala Government and Ministry of Railways, has proposed a 532-km semi-high-speed rail project from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod at an estimated cost of Rs 67,000 crore.
This, if taken up, will be the biggest project ever undertaken by the Kerala Government.
It is expected that 10 per cent of the project cost will be borne by the State, another 10 per cent by the Central government and the rest Rs 53,000 crore will be met via loans from financial institutions including foreign financial institutions like JICA Japan.
Needless to say, a loan of over Rs 50,000 crore, even if we were not hit by COVID-19, could push the State government to the very edge of fiscal disaster.
The survey and other allied works of the project have already been completed. The detailed project report is expected to be approved by state cabinet, shortly.
Actual cost would be higher
The legendary Metroman, Dr E Sreedharan's contention that a goods train (at 75 kmph) could be operated along the track to make the project profitable looks impractical.
For running passenger trains, only 17-tonne axle-load strength of the track is necessary.
But for running a goods train, at least 25-tonne axle-load strength track is needed. Hence for running a goods train, additional 25 per cent expenditure is needed. This will push up the total outlay of the project from the proposed Rs 67,000 crore to at least Rs 1 lakh crore.
This will clearly affect the financial viability of the project.
Displacements to soar
The State government says only 6,395 families need to be evicted. E Sreedharan, however, estimates that 20,000 families will have to be evicted for the project.
Assuming 20,000 houses will be displace, at least around 80,000 to 1,00,000 persons will have to be evicted.
Eviction is a means permanent marginalisation. It may be recalled that out of 326 families evicted for the Vallarpadam Container berth, in Kochi, some 10 years back, only 76 families have been accommodated so far, and the rest 250 families are still on the streets, under plastic sheets. Hence the rehabilitation of 20,000 families to be evicted for the project should be viewed very seriously.
Chocking of Wetlands
As the line is proposed at ground level, on both sides of the entire track, except at urban centres, high boundary walls will have to be constructed. This fact, too, has been confirmed by E Sreedharan.
In order to allow the persons to cross the track, overbridges or underpasses would be provided every 500 metres. One has to travel at least one kilometre to and fro to reach a destination nearby. Moreover, there is no assurance that overbridge/underpass will be constructed every 500 metres.
Construction of overbridges over paddy fields and marshy areas can be highly problematic. It will affect the movement of tillers, tractors and harvest machines in paddy fields and other marshy areas.
Since the 132 kms of paddy fields and marshy land stretches are proposed to be filled up with sand and rubble, the free flow of water will also be affected. Filling up of the wetlands will prevent percolation of water, which will ultimately hamper the recharge of water table. This will result in drought.
Smart cities will never be built
It is expected that 3,500 acres of land will have to be acquired for the project. In order to make the project viable, tender has already been invited for development of additional 2,500 acres of land near the 10 proposed stations for construction of smart cities and other commercial establishments.
The construction of one smart city at Kochi, which started 10 years ago, has not progressed even an inch. Hence the proposed construction of 10 smart cities will not be feasible and will result in huge financial loss to the public exchequer.
Centre still in the dark
The tender invited for development of 2,500 acres includes 300 acres of land owned by FACT and 200 acres owned by HMT.
But documents accessed through Right to Information Act reveal that the tender has been invited without the knowledge or consent of the Centre. Hence, it is illegal and tantamount to fraud.
Sreedharan himself has said that the statement of KRDCL that the Railway Board has given sanction for the project is false. The sanction is only for conducting the survey. Only after submission of DPR, the Railways will examine whether the project can be sanctioned or not.
The central government has already sanctioned 6 high-speed and semi-high-speed train projects in the country, and KRDCL project has not been considered. It is reported in Indian Express dated 15.02.20, that most of the equipment including rolling stock is going to be imported from Japan. It may be noted that India is exporting rolling stock to South Africa and many other countries, when KRDCL is planning to import rolling stock from Japan. It is going to be a huge financial loss to the country.
Again, as per an Indian Express report dated 15.02.20, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had a meeting with the director board of JICA during his visit to Japan, and had submitted feasibility report and other allied papers before the JICA director board. How KRDCL can avail of loan from a foreign institution without any sanction of the project from the Central Government beats logic and is a travesty of established norms of procedure.
It was also reported in Indian Express dated 15.02.20, that it is decided to form 10 land acquisition cells for acquisition of land for the project.
Tender has already been invited by KRDCL for supply of 20 lakh boundary stones for land acquisition and eviction.
Without any formal sanction from the Centre, which is a joint venture partner, how can the KRDCL go ahead with land acquisition?
What's more, none of the probable evictees have been informed, forget about taking them into confidence.
Skeletons of old projects
A similar project, high-speed train project, which was mooted in 2011, had continued for the last several years and was dropped in the year 2018 and the company itself was dissolved. The government had spent around Rs 100 crore of public money for which nobody is accountable. The same fate should be anticipated for this project also.
Shabari rail project which requires only 3 per cent of the estimated cost of the semi-high-speed train Project, was abandoned after spending around Rs 253 crore.
Project way behind its time
As per the ground realities prevailing in the state, the completion of the project would take up to 2035.
The railway has already started operating various trains at 160 to 200 kmph now in certain sections. For Example, Nizamuddin- Jhansi Gatiman Express runs with a maximum speed of 160 kmph now. Such type of trains will in the near future be operated in many sectors, including Kerala. Therefore, a rail that would allow trains to travel at 180 to 200 kmph in 2035 will be way behind is time.
If some of the curves in the existing lines are straightened, the track in certain sectors strengthened, and old out-modelled signalling system is improved, trains can be operated in the existing lines itself at 160 kmph.
Accordingly, after an increase in the speed by the railways and by restricting the number of stops, the existing trains can be operated at around 160 kmph. Hence there is no necessity for the semi high speed train expected to run at a speed of 180 kmph, which will be operational in 2035.
Moreover the Centre has recently ordered the doubling of the Ernakulam – Kayamkulam via Alleppey railway sector on its own without the participation of the State Government, by sanctioning 1,500 crore for the project. After the doubling of the remaining Ettumannor to Chingavanam sector on the Ernakulam-Kayamkulam track, and the doubling of the track Via Alleppey, there is no necessity for a separate line, spending around Rs 1 lakh crore and evicting 1,00,000 people.
(The author is the president of Mulakulam Resident's Welfare Association, Mulakulam South, Peruva, an area affected by the proposed project.)
