Kundannoor Junction development: SIA report to be vetted

Expert committee evaluating social impact assessment report for Kundannoor Junction widening proposal, land acquisition process to commence soon.

An expert committee will shortly evaluate the social impact assessment (SIA) report of the proposal to acquire approximately 40 cents to widen the narrow bellmouths on all four sides of Kundannoor Junction.

A public hearing in this regard was held earlier this week at the Maradu municipal office, where landowners got a chance to clear doubts and air their concerns. The committee will hand over the final version of the SIA report to the District Collector by May to commence the land acquisition process. A survey will be held as part of this.

The project to widen the junction’s bellmouths was set in motion by the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala over a year ago. This was after the six-lane flyover built at the congested junction on the NH bypass failing to fully redress traffic hold-ups.

Sources in the agency said the precise extent of land that would have to be acquired after paying compensation would be assessed after measuring ‘puramboke’ land at the bellmouths. The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board had approved the project in the wake of complaints from motorists and pedestrians about chaos and traffic snarls at the junction.