While launching the 25-km-long first phase of the metro rail project here on Friday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the government has asked the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) to conduct a feasibility study for the second phase of the project within six months.
The first phase will cover the stretch between Aluva and Petta and is expected to be completed by 2016.
“After analysing the feasibility report submitted by the KMRL, we will submit the proposal for the second phase to the Centre for its nod. Once the Centre approves the plan, we will start work on the second phase,” Chandy said.
Regarding other major infrastructure projects going to be undertaken, Chandy said the tender procedures and preliminary work of the monorail project for Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode would be initiated by August.
“The consultancy agreement with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for both monorail projects will be signed soon,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Transport Minister Aryadan Mohammed said the feasibility study would look into the possibilities of extending the metro rail to Angamaly on a phase-by- phase basis, considering the demand for it.
“We have already cleared the plan for extending the service to Tripunithura. In the second phase, the project will be extended from Aluva to Nedumbassery and from Palarivattom to Infopark. In later phases, the project can be extended to Angamaly from Nedumbassery and from Ernakulam to Mattanchery and Fort Kochi. We can think of connecting the metro rail with Paravur and Perumbavoor later,” Aryadan said.
Earlier, Chandy flagged off the construction work, which began with the piling for viaducts near Changampuzha Park in Edappally. Ministers, political leaders and other prominent personalities from all walks of life witnessed the work live on giant screens installed at the venue at the Jawaharlal Nehru international stadium.
Ministry of Urban Development secretary Sudhir Krishna said the state government should soon submit the proposals for the allotment of buses under the ministry’s project for introducing 10,000 buses for small cities.
“The proposals will be sanctioned on a first- come-first-served basis. I hope the government of Kerala will utilise the opportunity wisely and on time,” Sudhir said.
Sudhir, who is also the chairman of both KMRL and DMRC, said the project was not restricted to the cities falling under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. “Every city as well as small town will benefit from the project,” he added. On the plans to extend the metro to Tripunithura, he said the Centre would consider the demand after analysing its feasibility.
Sudhir stressed the need to form an Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) for integrating the transport modes in the city. “The rail, road and water networks should be integrated to reap the maximum benefit from the metro and the state government should soon take steps to form an UMTA, which will bring all the transport modes under one umbrella,” he added.
