Regulatory Deadlock Stalls Vital Transit Corridor to Bhogapuram Airport

Bureaucratic Hurdles in the Adavivaram-Sontyam Corridor

Plans to streamline traffic toward the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram face a significant obstacle. The Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) is currently managing a ₹174.64 crore infrastructure project encompassing 26.72 kilometers of master plan roads. However, the 8.02-km segment connecting Adavivaram BRTS junction to Gandigudam has reached a standstill due to pending statutory approvals for forest land diversion.

Technical specifications indicate that 6.83 hectares of forest land must be cleared to finalize this specific route. To meet conservation requirements, officials have already designated compensatory land in Kovvada village, located within the Padmanabham mandal of Visakhapatnam district. Despite this provision, the essential green light from the state government remains outstanding.

Environmental Compliance and Infrastructure Delays

The Adavivaram-Sontyam corridor follows a path through or near eco-sensitive zones, triggering rigorous scrutiny under wildlife and forest protection statutes. This regulatory architecture necessitates a complex series of protocols, including:

• Multi-tiered compliance reviews by State and Central agencies.
• Mandatory joint field inspections to assess ecological impact.
• Clearance for utility shifting and the relocation of electrical poles.

A senior official confirmed to the press that while other packages in the grid are seeing rapid execution, this specific link is vital for bypassing urban bottlenecks. If the forest clearance is granted immediately, authorities estimate they can complete the remaining roadwork within two months. Currently, inter-departmental meetings are focused on resolving these site hurdles to prepare for the traffic surge expected when the greenfield airport at Bhogapuram begins operations.

Source: The Hindu — News