India’s first water metro project linking ten small islands around Kochi will start on a pilot basis in July. The port city is endowed with 44 rivers and several backwaters, making it difficult to commute via these water bodies.
The transport will be a game changer as per water metro officials who said that it is an integrated metro service connecting rail, road and water. As per the officials, this will support the growing need to explore inland water bodies in Kochi.
According to the Kochi Metro Managing Director Loknath Behra, this water metro will be energy-efficient and environment friendly. “It will be a socially inclusive transport system. It will have an elite touch with an affordable tag. We have already started trial runs and main terminal work has also finished. We have streamlined 15 routes that cover 75 kms and the Cochin Shipyard is making electrically propelled hybrid boats”.
The water metro is bound to change the whole concept of urban commuting. Speaking of the upcoming issues related to the project, Behra said that adequate number of boats and building of pontoon bridges in boat terminals are main challenges before the Water Metro.
The delivery from the shipyard will directly affect the availability of boats and the beginning of operations.
Water metro can turn the problems of the tourism sector. The project is estimated to cost approximately Rs 819 crore. A major part of this funding is being financed under the Indo-German Financial Cooperation with a long-term loan agreement of RS 579 crore (85 million Euros) with German funding agency, KfW ( Kreditanstault fur Weideraufbou).
The remaining cost will be borne by the Kerala government.
READ: 'Kochi's Water Metro project will start its first phase by March': Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan
