KOCHI: Seeking an alternative approach to airport connectivity under Kochi Metro Phase 3, a consortium of 30-35 residents of Kariyad has submitted a proposal to Chief Minister V D Satheesan, seeking a technical, financial and operational feasibility study of an urban ropeway to Kochi airport, managed by the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL).
The proposal neither opposes the metro project nor its extension towards Angamaly. Instead, it suggests that the objective of connecting the airport be separated from the question of extending the metro into the terminal.
Cultural facilitator and consortium member Manoj K Varghese said if the metro station is located near the Taj Hotel or airport roundabout, a ropeway could provide direct access to the terminals. “The proposed Athani-airport stretch is around 4 km. If a ropeway can provide the same connectivity at substantially lower capital and operating costs with lower energy consumption, the option should be evaluated before committing to the metro extension,” he said. As example, the consortium cited the Varanasi urban ropeway, where a 4-km project is estimated at about `600 crore, including 15 years of operational costs, while metro construction alone can cost around Rs 350 crore per km.
The proposal also points to the airport’s solar-generation capacity as an opportunity to operate the connector with a lower energy footprint. It also cites urban ropeway systems in Bolivia and Mexico to argue that the technology is already being used for large-scale public transport.
“The concept proposes reducing the metro extension from the approximately 18.09-km configuration under consideration to around 10 km while retaining airport connectivity.
From Athani, the metro can continue in the NH to reach Angamaly. Subject to detailed evaluation, we estimated that the alternative network could potentially save Rs 2,250 crore, besides reducing infrastructure requirements, land acquisition and displacement,” Manoj said.
While agreeing that development should happen, the consortium stresses it is also necessary to ask how many times the same communities should have to bear the cost of development. “Several families from Avanavcode lost land and homes during earlier airport land acquisition and some had then relocated towards Kariyad. Any fresh development along the Kariyad airport corridor could expose some of the same families to another round of displacement,” Manoj pointed out.
The proposal originated from an idea suggested by Kariyad autorickshaw driver Johnson Joseph. “I used to be a driver abroad and hold three international licences. My suggestion was inspired by the infrastructure I saw while travelling and how they used its maximum potential to benefit the public smartly,” he said, adding that the CM had shown interest in the proposal.
Pros cited
A ropeway can provide the same Athani-airport connectivity as the metro but at reduced infrastructure requirements, land acquisition and displacement
Subject to detailed evaluation, the consortium estimate the alternative network can potentially save Rs 2,250 crore
Airport’s solar-generation capacity can help operate the ropeway with a lower energy footprint