Govt pushes Centre for speedy green clearance of ORR project

T'puram: With the ambitious outer ring road (ORR) project in the capital moving at a sluggish pace, state govt has urged Centre to expedite environmental clearance (EC), especially for the northern section stretching from Thekkada to Navaikulam. On Tuesday, Mir Mohammed Ali, special secretary (environment), formally wrote to Union ministry of environment and forests, requesting immediate action.
The delay in obtaining EC has stalled compensation disbursement to landowners, which the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) says cannot begin without the green nod. The southern section of the project, Vizhinjam to Thekkada, received clearance in 2023. However, the northern stretch is yet to be approved.
A senior state govt official told TOI that the EC process has slowed due to the lapse in the tenure of the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) in March. "Until a new committee is constituted, the Centre will handle all environmental clearance processes. Even after EC is granted, further approvals from various Union ministries will be needed, which could take another three to four months," the official said. This delay has caused growing frustration among affected residents.
S Chandramohan Nair, convener of the action council representing displaced landowners, said the group has been pursuing compensation for months. "We have visited both NHAI and state offices repeatedly. But despite our efforts, nothing has moved forward. We will not stop until we get our rightful compensation," Nair said.
Meanwhile, a senior NHAI official confirmed that disbursal remains on hold pending final approval from the Union ministry of road transport and highways. Last month, the action council members met Ali, who assured them that state had taken up the matter with Centre. But, there has been no visible progress since. Ali had also informed landowners that environmental clearance is not a legal prerequisite for disbursing compensation.
The district administration had transferred Rs 700 crore to NHAI in Jan 2025 for this purpose. Yet, NHAI has not credited any amount to the affected landowners in the 11 villages. The ORR project, financially sanctioned by the Union ministry in Aug 2024, is estimated at Rs 4,767 crore and will cover 63km.