The proposed Kochi Bypass is expected to decongest, among others, the bottlenecked Thiruvankulam Junction. A scene from the junction on Friday.
| Photo Credit: THULASI KAKKAT
The commencement of work on the proposed 44-km-long Kundannoor-Angamaly NH 544 bypass (Kochi Bypass) is mired in uncertainty once again as the deadline to publish the 3D notification regarding land acquisition expired on Friday (August 29, 2025).
This has given rise to the fear that the 3A notification for the process that had been issued on August 29, 2024, would lapse due to the expiry of its year-long tenure and would have to be reissued. This would, in turn, necessitate the need to restart the entire land acquisition process from scratch, adding to the delay in realising the Kochi Bypass, a greenfield project of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The ensuing delay in publishing the 3D notification would increase the cost of land acquisition and that of raw materials for the NH project that is estimated to cost ₹6,000 crore, it is learnt.
The new bypass project had been mulled a decade ago in order to decongest the Edapally-Aroor NH 66 Bypass and the Edapally-Angamaly NH 544 stretch – the busiest NH corridors in Kerala which cater to approximately 1 lakh passenger car units each day.
Expressing concern at the ambiguity about the plight of the long-overdue Kochi Bypass, Deekshith K.S., convener of the Thiruvankulam village committee of the Kundannoor-Angamaly NH Bypass Action Council, said that the alleged delay in deploying surveyors had led to the situation where only less than 30 % of the survey/land acquisition data had been compiled. “With not even 50% of the data compiled, it is tough to even publish a partial 3D notification. This means that the stakeholders must act with urgency to prevent further delays. As per the earlier revised schedule, the entire land acquisition process, including the payment of compensation to landowners and taking possession of their land, ought to ideally be over by March 2026. This can be realised only if the 3D notification is published, to be followed by the other critical notifications pertaining to the acquisition of 290 hectares of land.”
The office-bearers of the action council had earlier this year met Union Minister George Kurian, Minister for Industries and Law P. Rajeeve, and the Land Revenue Commissioner to fast-track the land acquisition, so that ground-level NH construction works can begin in due course.
One among the land owners (who preferred anonymity) and whose plot and house would be acquired for the project said that the non-publication of the 3D notification due to incomplete compilation of data and allied procedures, has in effect led to the 3A notification issued a year ago getting lapsed.
“This would not have happened if the State government had appointed an adequate number of surveyors well in advance. A total of over 40 surveyors were appointed only by mid-July. They could not complete the job despite working day and night. On its part, the NHAI has not completed laying of stones on the alignment of the proposed NH. Due to this, only 30% of the data could be uploaded,” said sources associated with the land acquisition process.
NHAI officials were unavailable for comment on the issue.
Published – August 30, 2025 08:22 am IST
