KOCHI: The state government is planning to roll out the first set of boats for the prestigious Kochi Water Metro project in February, just before the code of conduct for the assembly elections kicks in. The project, earlier scheduled for commissioning in January this year, was delayed because of the Covid-19 outbreak. With the assembly elections just a few months away, it is learnt that the LDF government is keen on inaugurating the project by launching boats on the Vyttila-Kakkanad route.
Meanwhile, the KMRL authorities said they are yet to get any official communication in that regard. While the civil work is progressing, the Cochin Shipyard (CSL) is yet hand over the boats for the project, an officer said. The tender for the construction of 23 boats for the Rs 747-crore Water Metro project was awarded to CSL in September 2019 at an estimated cost of Rs 175 crore.
However, a source close to the project said that, even if the government wants an early kick-off to the project, it would not be easy to commission the same this February.“The commissioning of the project, being implemented with the help of funds from KFW, requires sanction from the Centre. Boats need to be handed over to KMRL, trials conducted and safety inspections completed before rolling them out into the backwaters. We aren’t sure how all that is possible within a month,” the source said.