The widening works of the Gap Road stretch of the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway may be delayed as a meeting convened by District Collector H. Dinesan was inconclusive on Friday.
A series of landslips had occurred on the stretch since the road widening works began as part of the national highway in 2017. It is alleged that unscientific road works caused landslips leading to large-scale damage to road and agriculture land on the slope of the hilly stretch.
The Devikulam Subcollector had given a report that the road-widening works had been taken up without soil analysis and ecological impact assessment and large-scale blasting might have caused irreversible ecological damage.
An official, who attended the meeting, said the amount of compensation offered by the contractor to farmers who suffered losses was not acceptable to the latter.
Power Minister M.M. Mani, road contractor, NH officials, Devikulam Subcollector S. Prem Krishnan, Dean Kuriakose MP, Devikulam MLA S. Rajendran, and affected farmers attended the meeting held online.
At the meeting, the contractor offered ₹2 lakh per acre as compensation to the affected farmers. But the farmers sought ₹10 lakh per acre as compensation. The MP and the Devikulam MLA will conduct a direct meeting to decide on the compensation amount, the official said.
The District Collector will submit a report to the government on the condition of the Gap Road stretch and the damage due to the landslips. It will be based on the report submitted by the Devikulam Subcollector, sources said.
In the report of the Subcollector, it was said that the road widening work on the stretch cannot be resumed in the present condition. Mr. Dinesan said he would seek an expert opinion and submit a detailed report to the government.
