Thiruvananthapuram: Environmental clearance to the proposed Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road (ORR) connecting Vizhinjam and Navaikulam has been deferred after the expert appraisal committee (EAC) of Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) insisted on a site inspection before taking a final decision.The matter came up before EAC at its hearing on Wednesday, where members reviewed the proposal, including the revised alignment featuring multiple tunnels. The committee decided that a field visit was necessary before granting environmental clearance, citing concerns arising from the recent landslip at the under-construction Anakkampoyil-Kalladi twin-tunnel project in Wayanad.EAC observed that the Wayanad incident underscored the need for greater scrutiny of projects involving tunnel construction in Kerala’s hilly terrain, sources said. Members felt that geological conditions and safety aspects of the proposed tunnels along ORR alignment needed to be assessed on the ground before environmental clearance.Officials of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the implementing agency, reportedly argued that the proposed tunnels for ORR were located in relatively small hillocks and undulating terrain, unlike the steep and ecologically fragile mountains of Wayanad. The two projects were geologically different, and ORR was designed after extensive engineering and geotechnical studies, they added.Despite NHAI’s explanation, EAC decided that a site inspection by its members was indispensable before the final decision.NHAI was confident of the project’s engineering design and hoped the appraisal process would move forward after the inspection, said an official.“The proposed tunnels are through low hill formations and are entirely different from the terrain in Wayanad. Detailed geological investigations and engineering studies were carried out during project preparation. We are confident that after EAC conducts a site visit and reviews technical details on the ground, the project will receive the necessary environmental clearance,” said the official.The latest deferment has drawn criticism from Outer Ring Road Land Owners’ Action Council, which accused both state and central govts of showing little urgency in implementing the long-pending project.Action council convener S Chandramohan Nair said the repeated delays pushed affected landowners into uncertainty. “If this continues, the project will once again come to a standstill. We no longer see any seriousness from either the state govt or Centre in taking the project forward. Landowners have waited for years, and every fresh delay only deepens their frustration,” he said.The 78-km greenfield highway was conceived as a crucial connectivity corridor linking Vizhinjam International Seaport with northern parts of Thiruvananthapuram and national highway network. Besides improving freight movement from the upcoming transshipment port, the corridor is also expected to decongest urban roads and spur industrial and commercial development along its alignment.The project has witnessed several delays owing to alignment revisions, land acquisition issues and statutory clearances. The revised alignment, which incorporates multiple tunnels to minimise displacement and environmental impact, required a fresh appraisal by the environment ministry before construction could commence.