KOCHI: Even though the December deadline has passed, work on the Kadamakkudy water metro terminal is progressing rapidly, with operations expected to commence within the next three months, officials said.
“The work on the Kadamakkudy water terminal has entered the final stage. It will be ready for operations in about three months,” Sajan P John, chief operating officer of Kochi water metro limited (KWML), told TNIE.
The same is also true for the terminal coming up at Paliyamthuruth. “The work here is also nearing completion. This too will be operational in three months,” he added.
Once commissioned, services to Kadamakkudy with an additional link-up to Pizhala will be planned from the High Court terminal, and to Paliyamthuruth, from either the High Court or Mattancherry terminals.
However, the vessels are unlikely to sail directly through the Pizhala-Kadamakkudy stretch. Instead, they are expected to take a detour, either via Vypeen or Vallarpadam, to avoid disturbing a cluster of traditional Chinese fishing nets along the route.
“There are around 40 Chinese fishing nets in this stretch. These are a major tourist attraction. To preserve them, we have decided to bypass that section,” the KWML official said, adding that a final decision on the detour route is yet to be taken.
In terms of boats, Sajan said, “We have decided to make do with the existing ones for now. But there is indeed a need to get more vessels.”
Historically, residents of Kadamakkudy and neighbouring islands such as Pizhala have depended on small boats to get around
“Until about two decades ago, about 10-12 private ferry boats were catering to this region. As road connectivity improved, the number of boats waned, until none remained,” M S Antony, president of Kadamakkudy grama panchayat.
“Today, while road access exists, it connects only the large islands, including Valiya Kadamakkudy, Chennur, Kothad and Korampadam. Even then, vehicle movement remains constrained due to the narrow roads,” he pointed out, implying that a seamless water transport network is crucial.
“Once the water metro terminals are operational, it will greatly help in bridging the remaining mobility gaps whilst also boosting the tourism projects of the region,” the local representative added.
Former panchayat president Mary Vincent N G concurred. “Kadamakkudy is a cluster of islands. What better mode of commute here than water transport? The metro service will be a big relief for the people, and a great boon for the local economy,” she said. “After all,” Mary added, “Kadamakkudy is renowned for its serene backwaters, lush paddy fields and rustic village life. This tourism potential must be adequately tapped, and the water metro will help facilitate that.”
The water metro officials, too, are leaning on this agenda. They clarified that services on these routes will primarily cater to tourists rather than daily commuters. At least, initially.
“There won’t be frequent, back-to-back services like those on Fort Kochi or Kakkanad routes. Operations will be based on passenger demand, and service gaps will be wider,” Sajan said, adding that the service frequency details are undecided.
Both Antony and Mary consider this to be a wise move. “It is likely not feasible to get enough passenger numbers to run hourly services from just these two terminals. But once the rest of the terminals are up, the passenger numbers to the city and back will be significant,” they said.
The other water metro terminals slated to come up in the region are at Mulavukad, Ponnarimangalam, Chennur, Kothad, Pizhala, Thundathumkadavu, Chariyamthuruth, Elamkunnapuzha and Moolampilly.
Located about eight kilometres from the Kochi heartland, Kadamakkudy is a cluster of 14 islands scattered across the Vembanad Lake, and famed for its meandering canals, coconut groves, fishing villages, and birdlife.
Meanwhile, a KWML official said that the tendering process for Thoppumpady, Edakochi and Ernakulam jetty terminals is under way, and more updates will be announced shortly.