THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the CPI and the Sasthra Sahithya Parishad have raised concerns over the Kasargod-Thiruvananthapuram semi highspeed rail, CPM workers have begun a door-to-door campaign to convince the people about the project and to justify the government policy. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will interact directly with social, cultural, community and industrial leaders in the major districts

The interaction will start on January 4 at 11 am at the Jimmy George Indoor Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. The CM will attend similar interactions in Ernakulam and Kozhikode. In other districts, the interaction will be led by various ministers.

The CPM has started distributing pamphlets door-to-door explaining the benefits and advantages of the K-Rail project and making it clear that it does not cause any environmental problems. This will continue today and tomorrow.

According to CPM, the unholy alliance of UDF-BJP-Jamaat-e-Islami is behind the protest against the Semi-High Speed ​​Rail (SilverLine). While stating that the project is a complete green project, CPM pointed out that the SilverLine do not pass through ecologically sensitive areas or wildlife areas. Agricultural land will not be significantly affected. Air pollution will be less. This is the dream project of Kerala. About half a lakh people will be employed during construction and about ten thousand during completion.

88 km of the 115 km passing through paddy fields will be elevated. There will be bridges and culverts to protect water bodies and wetlands. The Rajdhani Express, which has an average speed of 102 kmph outside Kerala, runs at a speed of 57 kmph in Kerala.

Other benefits of the project
The number of vehicles registered in the state has increased from 6 lakhs in 2010-11 to 1.20 crore in 2016-18. With the advent of the semi-high-speed rail, nearly 43,000 people who travel through road daily may switch to it. 13,000 vehicles will be off the road in the first year alone. The CPM points out that nearly petrol and diesel worth Rs Rs 530 crore can be saved every year through the SilverLine project.