Kannur/Kozhikode: Many families find themselves sandwiched between the existing railway line and the proposed SilverLine track in Kerala. These are areas where the alignment of the SilverLine has been proposed to run parallel to the existing railway line. There are many such houses in areas where social impact assessment has been completed.
"If we step out of the house, we will be on the railway buffer zone. The stone for the SilverLine was laid behind the other house the other day. Now, that has also become a buffer zone. How can we live between this? They are saying that people in the buffer zone will not be even given compensation. Can we just abandon everything and leave?" asked Navaneetham, a resident along the YRMC Road at Panniyankara in Kozhikode.
Those living in the buffer zone are also planning to join the ongoing agitations against land acquisition. About a hundred families at Panniyankara have formed a committee for this.
From Kasaragod till Tirur in Malappuram, and from Kochuveli to Murukkumpuzha in Thiruvananthapuram, there are thousands of such families that find themselves trapped between tracks on either side. Going by the explanation given by K-Rail, none would be getting any compensation. Plus, tougher regulations are in the offing.
At present, if the house falls within the buffer zone of the railway, then even to carry out house repair works, the permission of the Railway Ministry is required. Permission to construct houses will be granted only if it is given in writing that the house would be demolished if required. There are people who got fed up after making repeated visits to the railway office for up to 3 years for the permit.
The houses in Kozhikode are at a distance of 50m from the double-line of the railway. With the addition of 3, 4 tracks, this distance would further reduce. Once SilverLine also comes into the picture, their hardship would only increase.
Trains are proposed to run at a speed of 180km per hour through the semi high-speed rail line and concerns are being raised on the impact it will have on the nearby old buildings. Constructions are completely barred within 5mt and it is not clear if repair works can be carried out on the existing houses. Another concern is whether the roads will get completely blocked with the railway line on one side and the SilverLine track on the other, and isolate the houses. Therefore, demands have been raised to take over these lands and houses, even if these are not required for the project.
At Kizhake Kandankkali in Payyanur village, where the social impact assessment was first carried out in the state, 11 houses and land need to be completely taken over for the same reason. Demands have also been raised to take over the house and the plot that fall between the SilverLine track and the FCI godown at Payyanur.
As per the LiDAR survey carried out for preparing the alignment for the SilverLine project, it was estimated that a total of 1383 hectare of land needs to be acquired. Figures from the area where the social impact study was conducted indicate that at least one-third of this needs to be additionally acquired. This would also lead to a significant increase in the project cost.
