Three-generation family donates ₹1.3 crore land for Kolenchery road widening

On a stretch of road in Kolenchery that has choked with traffic for years, a family made a choice that has become rare in Kerala: they gave away land worth more than a crore rupees without asking for a single rupee in return.

The Canal Bund Road, a narrow three-metre passage that connects the Kochi-Madurai National Highway to the quieter streets beyond, had become a bottleneck. Vehicles would jam up nearly 500 metres deep during peak hours, and the road was too tight for two-way traffic to move without constant friction. The panchayat wanted to widen it to six metres. But widening a road means taking land from the people who own it, and that is where most projects stall.

Instead, six residents stepped forward. Five of them—Jacob P Varghese, Sumi George, Rony Thampi, Suja Shaju, and Jithu Elias—belonged to the Punnackal family, a lineage that now spans three generations in Kolenchery. The sixth, Binoy Chacko Mudavanthiyil, agreed to remove a structural pillar from his building to clear space. Together, the five family members surrendered just over 13 cents of land. At current market rates of roughly ten lakh rupees per cent, they were walking away from approximately 1.3 crore rupees.

What made this gesture even more striking was that it was not the first time. Nearly two decades earlier, Jacob and his two elder brothers, MV Varghese and PV Alias, had donated a similar strip of land—13 cents, about three metres wide and 180 metres long—to create the original Canal Bund Road itself. Back then, there was no proper access to their properties. The panchayat asked for help. The brothers agreed, and a mud track became a tarred road.

Over the years, their properties were divided among their children and grandchildren. MV Varghese's land went to his three children: Suma George, Suja Shabu, and Mary P Varghese. Mary later transferred her share to her son, Rony Thampi. PV Alias gave his portion to his son Jithu Alias. Now, across three generations, they had decided to give again. "The earlier road was too narrow," Jacob explained. "Vehicles would often get stuck. Now, all of us—me, my brothers' children and even one of the grandchildren—have decided to give up the same amount of land again so that the road can be properly widened."

Jacob understood the mathematics of loss. He knew what the land was worth. He knew that land prices in Kolenchery were climbing. But he also understood something else: that good roads draw business, that better connectivity increases the value of the land you keep, and that a town without gridlock is a town where people want to live and work. "It is true that we are losing land worth more than a crore rupees," he said. "But good roads are essential for development. A wider road will eventually increase the value of the remaining land. If we start any business establishments in the future, proper road connectivity will be a big advantage. Above all, this will help decongest Kolenchery town. As residents, we believe it is our social responsibility to be part of such solutions."

Once the land is formally handed over, the panchayat will construct a retaining wall, lay fresh tar, and install metal rail guards. There are also plans for a cut-and-cover system over the Periyar Valley canal that runs alongside the road, which could further ease the flow. The widened passage will open up access to surrounding neighbourhoods—Thammanimattam, Kinginimattam, Karukappilli, Poothrikka—and make it easier to reach the Self-Financing College, the vegetable market, and the cooperative bank without funnelling through the congested town centre.

In a state where infrastructure projects routinely collapse under the weight of land disputes, where compensation demands and legal battles can stretch for years, the Punnackal family's decision stands as something almost anomalous: a model of what happens when people choose the collective good over individual gain. Ward member Babu Varghese, who facilitated the arrangement, called it exemplary. "Most people hesitate to give up land free of cost, especially in a town where land value is rising rapidly," he said. "What this family has done is truly commendable and will bring great relief to the public." The road widening is set to begin soon, and with it, a small town's chronic congestion may finally begin to ease.