In Kerala, it is not possible to build a semi-veg road at ground level. What is needed is a high speed railway line with a speed of 350 km through the pillars. From the interview given ….
Isn’t there a need for an expressway in Kerala?
= Kerala needs a path. Whether fast or semi-fast. Roads can no longer be developed. Kerala has the second highest inflation rate after the United States. 450 vehicles per thousand people. The road can no longer be taken. So the railroad itself is needed. But such a big project cannot be implemented at this time.
Is the semi high speed line practical in Kerala?
= Is practical. But the current K-Rail project cannot be implemented.
What is the problem with the current project
= The main problem is that this is a semi high speed lane. It is intended to be built at ground level. This type of expressway is not usually built at ground level. Either elevated, or underground. That’s the way it should be.
What is the engineering potential of the project?
= There is no possibility for the current project. Out of 530 km, 280 km goes through the field. It will have to be raised between six and seven meters. Even if it is raised, it will go down. Such a path cannot be built on a low point. As it is a semispeed line going through the ground, no cows, animals or people are allowed to enter it. It is said to be fenced. So it does not matter. The wall itself must be built. Its impact will be huge. The main problem is that it will go down. The ground should be firm so that it does not sink. The cost is very high. The alternative is to take it through the elevator. They did not include any of its costs in the estimate.
Is this project not suitable for Kerala?
= This project is not suitable for Kerala at all. How to implement a wall-mounted project on both sides in a country so densely populated.
Haven’t you come up with a semi high speed project like this?
= I brought up the highspeed project. There is no significant difference. At semi-high speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour. It can run up to 350 kmph at high speeds. The project was from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur. Thiruvananthapuram can be reached in two and a half hours from Kannur. There is no need for a road from Kannur to Kasaragod. Passengers are low. The study took years. D.P.R. It took three years to prepare.
How high speed is practical if semi high speed is not practical
= The high speed path is intended to be built over a pillar or in a tunnel. Not even taken to the ground. In Kerala, it is not possible to take the road through the ground. When the plan was drawn up, four Japanese experts and three South Korean experts were present for technical advice. They are people who have made paths like this before. There are no such experts for this project. The expressway does not have to take up so much land.
Why the project was later abandoned
= The project was prepared in 2010. D.M.R.C. The project was submitted in 2013. It was submitted to the Oommen Chandy government. Although the Left government was asked to prepare the plan, the subsequent Left government decided that the expressway was not needed and that semispeed was sufficient. The project, estimated at Rs 75,000 crore, was expected to be completed in seven years. 95,000 crore when completed. When the current K-Rail project is completed, it will cost Rs 1.10 lakh crore. It will take at least 10 years to complete.
What if the project had started then?
= Could have been commissioned at least half; D.M.R.C. If construction was undertaken. If it is the Government of Kerala, it will take double time. It took two and a half years to build a small flyover at Edappal. D.M.R.C. The Palarivattom bridge was built in five to six months. That is the difference.
Why Kerala is incapable
= Government of Kerala will not take a decision. Competent engineers will not be used. The method of DMRC is quite different. The decision will be made soon. It will be high class work.
How do you do that?
Kerala should not take up such a project for at least two or three years. The state is heavily in debt. No study has been conducted in connection with the project. It is said that he started his studies in Kannur. It is not clear whether it is a social impact study or an environmental impact study. It does not matter if the big project has an impact study at the district level. This is done due to lack of technical knowledge. The path should be taken completely. It is wrong to take it on a district basis.
Should the high speed road itself be built in Kerala?
= Should be done at the highspeed level. At the start, it does not run anywhere at a speed of 350 km / h. Bring it quickly. Nothing can be implemented at this time. If so, it was possible. Now there is no money even to pay the salary.
Content Highlights : K Rail cannot be implemented; Kerala needs is a High speed Rail through pillars Says E. Sreedharan
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