Kochi is all set to get its first water metro

The metro line has been in consideration in Kochi, what so special about it, you ask? Well, it’s not any common metro project which is to be undertaken by the authorities, a project which is to be on the waterway. Yes, you read that right.

According to A.P.M Mohammed Hanish, the managing director of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), this had tendered 78 fast, fuel-efficient ferries to manufacture under the Water Metro project that will be set to float on December 31 and be finalised by March-April 2018.

The ₹747 crore project is to be expected commissioned by April 14, 2019 and will employ 78 modern ferries operating in 15 routes, covering a total distance of 75 km and linked by 38 jetties.

In fact, all the material required to manufacture the ferries along with the propulsion system, have almost been finalised by the concerned authorities. “The first batch of ferries is most likely to be deployed in the Ernakulam-West Kochi area, and will, therefore, cover areas in the Smart Cities Mission. The cleaning of navigable water bodies and canals would go hand in hand with the induction of the ferries,” Hanish, who also essays the role of Cochin Smart Mission CEO, told The Hindu.