Is Palaniswami misleading Tamil Nadu on Chennai-Salem highway?

Palaniswami Edappadi Palaniswami | PTI

Even as the AIADMK government of Edappadi Palaniswami is still being criticised over the May 22 police firing in Thoothukudi, the chief minister is facing the heat over land acquisition plans for an eight-lane highway linking Chennai to Salem.

According to sources, Palaniswami may have misled the state Assembly about land acquisition for the eight-lane highway project, which has also seen three people being arrested in recent days for opposing it. The project faces strong opposition as it would cut through several thousand acres of cultivable land.

The Chennai-Salem eight-lane highway is a 'pet' project of Palaniswami. Speaking in the Assembly a week ago, Palaniswami said, once completed, the highway would reduce the travel time between the two major cities to just two hours and 15 minutes.

Speaking in the Assembly on June 11, Palaniswami claimed that only 1,900 hectares of land would be required for the Chennai-Salem highway project. However, a project report by M/s Feedback Infra Private limited, Gurugram, claims that nearly 2,560 hectares of land would be needed for the project. The agency also noted there were 32 human settlements in the proposed alignment.

On the same day, Palaniswami claimed only 49 hectares out of the 1,900 hectares to be acquired would be forest land. However, an environment impact assessment estimated nearly 120 hectares of forest land would have to be acquired.

Interestingly, even Palaniswami's claims of the short travel time are being questioned by experts: since the distance between Chennai and Salem is approximately 277km, a vehicle would have travel at an average speed of 125kmph to cover the distance in just two hours. Furthermore, the highway also has eight toll plazas and other stoppage points, which means a vehicle has to, effectively, travel at 180kmph to maintain an average speed of 125kmph!

Even the six-lane Yamuna Expressway between Noida and Agra has a maximum speed limit of 100kmph. So, experts ask does Palaniswami want motorists to break all speed restrictions by laying a road that cuts through forest reserves at nine places!

Opponents arrested

In recent days, three people, including environmental activist Piyush Manush, actor Mansoor Ali Khan and a student, Valarmathy, have been arrested for opposing the project. Manush and Valarmathy are likely to be booked under provisions of the Goondas Act.

'Dictator' barb

DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi slammed Palaniswami for the arrests and crushing of opposition to the Chennai-Salem highway project. In social media posts, she compared Palaniswami to a dictator.

Kanimozhi declared Palaniswami's arrogance had reached “unparalleled levels”, and history would teach a “fitting” lesson for such arrogance.