The public hearing for landowners in Vizhinjam, who will be giving up their land for the proposed railway tunnel project, is scheduled to reconvene on October 14. This tunnel will connect the Vizhinjam International Seaport to the Balaramapuram railway station.
During the previous hearing, significant concerns were raised by the landowners, particularly regarding the tunnel's exit points. This led officials from Vizhinjam International Seaport (VISL) to organise another session that will include a detailed visual demonstration of the land acquisition process and the tunnel's alignment to provide a clearer understanding to those affected. As many as 19 families may lose their homes due to the land acquisition.
Sreekumar K Nair, the CEO of VISL, stated that they would reconvene the public hearing in Vizhinjam to ensure all concerns are addressed. He noted that a pictorial presentation would be provided, as requested by the landowners, emphasising their commitment to listening to all worries and proceeding with the acquisition only after alleviating those fears.
In total, two acres of land will be acquired on the Vizhinjam side, while 11 acre will be taken on the Balaramapuram side near the railway station. The public hearing for land acquisition in Balaramapuram was completed last month, and the landowners there have largely accepted the process. However, the situation in Vizhinjam is more complex due to the potential impact on local fishermen's livelihoods, which has prompted the Vizhinjam diocese to intervene on behalf of the community.
In addition to addressing concerns in Vizhinjam, VISL is also exploring the possibility of establishing a container rail terminal (CRT) either at Balaramapuram or Neyyattinkara railway station. Discussions with Southern Railways are currently in the preliminary stages, particularly as land acquisition for the Thiruvananthapuram-Parassala railway doubling project is ongoing. The state government is expected to grant administrative sanction for the railway connectivity in an upcoming cabinet meeting. The project has already received environmental clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change two months ago, and approximately 5 hectares of land at Balaramapuram will need to be acquired for the approach road to the railway station.
