Ennore-Manali road project to be ready by June 2013

The much-awaited Ennore-Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP) is expected to be completed by June 2013. The project, which was originally conceived in 1998 at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore, has been facing delay for various reasons including rehabilitation and allotment of funds. The delay in the project has pushed the project to around Rs 600 crore.

Speaking to reporters after handing over a cheque for Rs 50.50 crore to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Union minister for shipping GK Vasan said that till now 32 per cent of the project had been completed. Land acquisition, for rehabilitation of fishermen, has been completed and fishing stalls were provided to them, he said.

 

The Rs 50.50 crore includes Chennai Port Trust’s share of Rs 43.5 crore and balance is of Ennore Port’s. Both are equity shareholders in a special purpose vehicle (SPV), which was set up to develop this project. The others in the SPV include NHAI and the Tamil Nadu government.

The project was conceived in 1998 at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore. The project envisages improvement of 30-kilometre road network in north Chennai which connects all the container freight stations (CFSs) which handle containers for the Chennai port.

The project is vital not only for the future development of both Chennai and Ennore ports but also for the Katupalli port, located beside Ennore port, which is being built by Larsen & Toubro.

The project has been one of the dream projects for the trade. The delay in the project was resulting in Rs 75-lakh loss for various logistics operators every day.

“If the road would have properly been laid, the trade could have generated Rs 30,000-crore business in the last five years,” said an industry expert.

Meanwhile, the talks between NHAI and the Tamil Nadu government will put an end to issues related to the Maduravoyal expressway. Commenting about the Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated expressway project, Vasansaid that that NHAI and the state government were currently in talks and the issues will be sorted out soon, putting an end to the practical difficulties in continuing work on the project.

It may be noted that the Rs 1,815-crore project has been put on hold since April, after the state government objected to the course alignment of the project along the Cooum river. The project cost includes rehabilitating nearly 7,000 families living along the alignment.