DESPITE the mounting protest of opposition and the manipulations of a section of media, the government of Kerala is making efforts to materialise the SilverLine project, a semi high speed rail corridor. The project was one of the major promises of the LDF in its election manifesto in the 2021 assembly elections. The LDF government envisages this as the major infrastructure development project. This project is designed to avoid traffic snarls, road accidents and air pollution from vehicles, a major concern of the state. A project like the SilverLine is inevitable in a state like Kerala where railway development is very slow. 

Currently it takes more than 16 hours to travel from Thiruvananthapuram in the southern end to Kasaragod in the northern end and vice versa. The SilverLine project is a solution to this issue as it would take only four hours if the project becomes a reality. This project envisages 11 stops in every 50 kilometres considering the high density of population in the state. 

That was one of the major reasons why the present government decided on a semi-high speed railway that comes at a cost of Rs 120 crores per kilometre. The ticket rate for the high speed railway had been pegged at Rs 6 per kilometre in the high speed railway. But the corresponding rate for the semi high-speed railway is only Rs 2.75 per kilometre as per the fare rates of 2020. 

According to a detailed project report, the cost of the SilverLine will come to Rs 63,940 crores. The cost of the land belonging to railways will come to Rs 975 crores. Besides this Rs 2,150 crores constitute the central share. The state’s share is Rs 3,225 crores. Rs 4,252 crores will be sourced from public share partnerships. Assistance from international agencies will also be used to meet the costs. HUDCO has already sanctioned Rs 3,000 crores. 

According to Muralee Thummarukudi, chief of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, the changes will be huge, and they will be perceptible at several levels. “If someone from Ernakulam were to come to Thiruvananthapuram to transact any business, it would take at least two days to conclude because an overnight stay is inevitable. However, if it is possible to cover the distance in one-and-a-half to two hours, that will undoubtedly expedite our economic activities. Most of the time we may wonder whether we really need such a superfast train. During peak hours, there is a high-speed or bullet train (called Shinkansen in Japan) running between Osaka and Tokyo every three minutes. Kerala is fast growing into an economic power. The state GDP is rising every year. Therefore, infrastructural development is not to be planned for the Kerala that we see today but for the Kerala of 2030 or 2040 or 2050. Should we still spend 10 to 12 hours on travel then, as we do today?” he asked. 

It is being propagated that there will be large-scale damage to houses and buildings because of the SilverLine project. While it is true that approximately 9,314 buildings come in the way of the proposed alignment, steps are being taken to reduce that number further. Besides, technical expertise is being sought to relocate entire houses, keeping them intact. In order to reduce the area of land acquisition, the                    ‘cut and cover’ construction style will be adopted. While acquiring land, as per the rehabilitation laws, damages of up to four times the market price will be paid in rural areas, and up to two times the market price in urban areas. A total of Rs 13,265 crores has been set apart for payment of damages, including land acquisition. Of this Rs 1,730 crores will be for rehabilitation, and Rs 4,460 crores for compensation of houses. Discussions have been initiated with financial institutions on this issue. HUDCO has already advanced Rs 3,000 crores for the first phase of land acquisition for the SilverLine from Kochuveli to Chengannur. 

Congress led United Democratic Front and BJP have been protesting continuously against this project. SilverLine Virudha Janakeeya Samithi, an outfit led by a section of environmentalists is also taking part in separate protests. Opposition parties allege that the SilverLine project would increase the debt of the state and there is a possibility of a huge scam. A petition signed by opposition MPs said that the project was financially unviable and it would lead to the displacement of more than 30,000 families. Environmentalists argue that SilverLine would perniciously harm the environment of the state as the proposed route goes through precious wetlands, paddy fields and hills. 

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “The government is always willing to listen to constructive criticism. However no opposition for the mere sake of torpedoing developmental projects, will deter us from fulfilling our promise to the people. We need to stand united for the sake of development of Kerala. If such development projects are sought to be derailed, it will affect our future generations, we cannot allow that to happen.”