State tells NHAI to stop Trichy project

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday ordered stoppage of work on the 374-crore Trichy-Karaikudi national highway project. This is the second major infrastructure project implemented by the Centre to be stopped by the state government. Earlier this year, work on the 1,800-crore Chennai Port-Maduravoyal elevated expressway was stopped citing deviations in its alignment along the Cooum.
Citing objections and opposition from local farmers, who apprehended loss of irrigation water sources, a senior engineer of the Water Resources Organisation asked the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) officials at the site to stop work on Saturday.

The project, which would link six national highway stretches in the region, involves construction of a two-lane path with paved shoulders in the Trichy-Karaikudi section of NH-210. The 84km stretch includes 25km of Trichy bypass on NH-67. Launched in 2010, the project was to be completed by May 14, 2013.