In his letter to Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien has said the Southern Railway has not considered the following facts while going ahead with the cement yard expansion project in Thiruvalla:
No environmental Impact Assessment has been made to assess the exact hazards likely to be created by the cement yard.
The cost of the land in Thiruvalla is quite high, compared to other lesser populated areas, which are equally suitable for constructing the yard.
Railways may also consider its own land at Nalukody, 3 km from the railway station, or the 30 acres of land at Cheriyanadu for the yard.
In another letter, Prof. Kurien said the people of Thiruvalla were also curious to know as to what prompted the Southern Railway to take such an adamant stand.
