Thiruvananthapuram | The Opposition Congress in Kerala on Friday asked the Left government to withdraw from the ongoing coastal highway project in the state as there has allegedly been no scientific planning for it, and it would displace coastal communities.
In a letter written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said the government should reconsider the decision to embark on the project, which he claimed to be initiated without preparing a detailed project report (DPR).
Satheesan alleged that the government has not yet resolved the issues faced by the fishing community for the Vizhinjam International transshipment seaport project.
"The question arising now is whether there is a need for a coastal highway when the NH 66 is passing through the coastal areas of the state with distances ranging from as close as 50 metres to as far as 15 kilometres from the shoreline," Satheesan said.
He said the coastal community could not bear another eviction in the name of a coastal highway.
"There should be a scientific planning for a development project. But in this case, there is neither a socio-economic or environmental impact study by the government nor a DPR," Satheesan said.
The senior Congress leader also claimed that the construction of a major road along the coastal area might stop the rainwater from draining into the sea which may cause floods in the eastern side of the proposed way.
"The decision to move forward with a project which is being implemented without considering any socio-environmental impact and evicting the coastal communities cannot be accepted," Satheesan said.
In the letter, he also submitted a list of suggestion prepared by a UDF team constituted to study the project.
