The ambitious Silverline project deserves in-depth analysis and to reduce traffic, the state needs an integrated approach
Kerala is polarized Proposed 530 km north-south semi-high speed standard gauge rail link The massive borrowing cost ₹64,000 crore. It proposes to connect metropolitan Kochi to the rest of the state in two hours and Kasaragod in the north to Thiruvananthapuram in the south in four hours, easing the pressure on 1,800 km of linear Kerala highways. Kerala, due to its undulating topography and sensitive hydrology, suffers from severe traffic stress due to frequent floods, high forest cover and the ecologically fragile Western Ghats.
project positive
Proponents increasingly tout the benefits of high-quality connectivity. The new track can transport 80,000 people per day, reducing 20,000 current passenger car trips, and reducing passenger car sales and traffic by 12% to 15%. There is a huge vehicular pressure in Kerala, with around 441 vehicles per 1,000 people. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the total registered vehicles in Kerala grew at a CAGR of 10.62% between 2009 and 2019 against the all-India figure of 9.91%. Of its 156 lakh total registered vehicles, 37 lakh are private passenger cars. and SUV, which translates to 1 personal vehicle per 10 persons. 2 lakh new passenger cars/SUVs are added annually on the road. Most of the passenger cars are more than 15 years old, leading to intense pollution.
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Speeding traffic also causes 40,000 accidents per year leading to 4,000 deaths, which is high for most Indian states. Even during the COVID slowdown, Keralites bought 1.57 lakh (2020) passenger cars.
Therefore, a gradual shift from 15% to 25% of the current passenger car traffic towards a competitive transport system is imperative for Kerala. It is fundamental to the existence of Kerala as a viable economic unit as the state is 92% urbanized with few rural urban distinctions in amenities and entitlements. The development of cities and census towns is geographically limited and Kerala is rapidly changing its building regime to accommodate high-rise buildings for its residential and commercial demand. Without commuting to and from work and fast transportation of mass-consumed goods, its consumption economy would stagnate. Kerala gains importance from its large tourism industry due to efficient movement of visitors between destinations at economical rates as it increases average retention and per capita expenditure.
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The current semi high-speed railway proposals are not entirely new. A high-speed version with a proposed outlay of Rs 1 lakh crore proposed by the previous regime to accelerate to 350 kmph was abandoned in favor of a suburban train project at a lower parametric cost. Opinion is divided as to whether the current rail network’s speed can be increased by doubling, improving signaling, and straightening more than 600 curved patches. Skeptics believe that efforts over the past 20 years have led to a slight improvement in speed to 50 km/h. Silverline, a project of Kerala Rail Development Corporation Limited, promotes infrastructure developed jointly by the state and central governments. Government-guaranteed subsidized external finance can effectively bridge the transport infrastructure gap and deliver the desired results.
concerns
Critics broadly cite the debt financing burden of the project which could substantially strain the state’s finances, potentially putting pressure on many other investments until the project collapses. Other concerns are around the displacement and liberal resettlement of about 10,000 families from the 1,200 hectares of private land that needs to be acquired. Environmental concerns exist over the availability of embankments and construction material aggregates that raise the track for about 300 km. Kerala’s steep aqueducts are oriented from east to west and many speculate that the embankment may increase the intensity of floods in the surroundings, although the project provides relaxation every 500 metres. While the project will temporarily increase emissions in the construction phase, the green electric power-train is expected to replace 150 internal combustion engines each time a train travels. These deserve in-depth analysis.
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The state’s investment in green energy especially in solar plants, augmented by cheap solar power from national vendors through green corridors, will power the variable cost of track sustainability.
However, Silverline is notably inadequate to answer the state’s traffic woes. Kerala also needs to harmoniously develop its eco-friendly waterways which can reduce clogged highways by up to 15%. If transportation of dangerous goods and consumable staples is moved to an integrated navigable system with the new high-speed green rail, it would reduce highway congestion by 15%. At the same time, if there is an annual 5-10% conversion of vehicular traffic to electric locomotives, it would certainly keep road transport corridors as well as rail and waterway tracks reasonably patent, efficient and carbon neutral.
integrated approach
Kerala probably needs an integrated regional assessment and synthesis of its competitive traffic corridor proposals, seen together as civic amenities and investment projects. Instead of looking at each project only as a standalone approach, an integrated approach can address the shortcomings. The lack of an adequately integrated and informed discourse on the potential of multi-modal complementarities is perhaps complicating the debate. A progressive and enlightened society like Kerala should engage in meaningful dialogue instead of participating in highly polarized debates, leaving no room for nuanced exploration. Therefore, the current discourse needs to be simultaneously deepened and expanded.
B Ashok is a civil servant and former Vice Chancellor. views expressed are personal
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