Kerala Cannot Go On Like This

For some people, crisis is an opportunity. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan belongs to that group. The unprecedented magnitude of the 2018 floods in Kerala brought out the leader in him.

- Cithara Paul

In the months following the floods, though, the state government suffered a series of setbacks—beginning with the controversy over women entering Sabarimala and ending with the rout of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the Lok Sabha elections in the state.

The heavy rains and landslides that wreaked havoc across Kerala this year have again brought out the leader in him. Vijayan talked to THE WEEK about the lessons learnt in the past one year and the way forward. Despite the calamities, he said, the developmental projects his government had initiated are well on track. Excerpts from the interview:

The LDF government took up many mega projects when it came to power. In the wake of the floods, where do they stand?

All the mega projects—be it inland waterways, Kochi Water Metro or GAIL pipeline project—are well on track. Though the floods hit us unexpectedly, we could bring the projects back in action without much delay. Similarly, plans for the next phase of Kochi Metro is also on track. All projects will meet deadlines. There will be no delays.

The government recently announced a 532km high-speed rail corridor. At 66,000 crore, this is probably the biggest development project in the state. Will its utility justify the cost, effort and environmental impact?

Once the project is done, the travel time between the southern and the northern tip of the state will be reduced to four hours, from the current 12 hours. Time is valuable for everyone, be it for a businessman or a professional. The project will make the entire state well-connected for all. As it is being conceived as an elevated corridor above the existing railway track, large-scale land acquisition will not be needed. A proper study on its environment impact is being carried out.