People’s convention at Cheranelloor demanding construction of underpasses

People ‘affected’ by the development of NH 66 at Cheranelloor have, under the banner of Highway Avakasha Samrakshana Samithi, demanded that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) build underpasses every one-km distance in densely populated areas.

They have alleged that the development of the highway corridor has led to the 2.4-km Kunnumpuram-Container Junction stretch turning into a wall, hampering the movement of people from either side. The worst affected are pedestrians, bicycle riders and bus passengers who find it difficult to cross the road. This would in turn adversely affect traders. All these issues could have been avoided if the NHAI had built an elevated highway in the densely populated Edappally-Muthakunnam NH corridor, the samithi pointed out.

A people’s convention will be held at Thykavu Junction at 6 p.m. on Saturday to demand underpasses and to protest against the ‘denial’ of free movement of residents and others.

The samithi reminded that many landowners, families and traders had to surrender their land twice in the past over 30 years to widen the NH to 30 m and later for the ongoing work to widen it to 45 m. Despite this, the service road has only 5.50-m width in many areas. In this situation, the NHAI must take speedy steps to build underpasses at Thykavu and GLPS Road Junction, said the samithi, a conclave of political, religious, cultural and trader organisations.