Alappuzha: National Highway (NH) development works in Kerala have hit a roadblock after the Supreme Court quashed the exemption granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India for prior environmental clearance in soil extraction for road construction, pipelines and other related activities.

The decision has put a halt to the progress of development works, raising questions about whether the permission already granted for soil extraction will be quashed. 

Mining and Geology Department has not yet issued a clarification on the matter. However, companies involved in the extraction works relating to the NH project have stopped the activities on the land for which they had obtained licenses. The soil ferrying in districts like Alappuzha and Kollam has been stalled. Similar situations prevail in other districts as well.

Soil requirement

Approximately 2.75 crore cubic meters of soil will be required to complete works from Thalappady in Kasaragod to Kazhakkoottam in Thiruvananthapuram. 

More soil is needed in areas where NH passes through coastal regions. 73 lakh cubic meters of soil is required for 116-kilometer stretch between Thuravoor in Alappuzha to Kollam Bypass. This stretch needs highest soil requirement.  

Progress of development works 

The works need to be completed by mid next year. Only 20% to 30% of the work has been completed in Alappuzha, Kollam, Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Thiruvananthapuram districts. The shortage of soil and rocks is cited as the main reason for the delay in construction. However, works in Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Thrissur districts are nearing the set target.

Changing regulations pose challenges

Contractors claim that regulatory tweaks pushed by the government to ease soil extraction in turn ended up as obstacles.

Mining and Geology Department has received hundreds of applications for soil extraction. With the SC verdict, prior environmental clearance will be required for all existing applications. 

Meanwhile, the cost of construction has increased due to the rise in royalty rates. Last April, the rate of 1 tonne of soil was doubled from Rs 20 to Rs 40.