KOCHI: The ambitious expansion of the Kochi Water Metro, a critical project aimed at enhancing connectivity across Kochi’s islands, to the western region has stalled due to persistent land acquisition issues at Thevara.
The nearly five-acre land owned by the KURTC at Thevara boat yard is earmarked as a multi-modal hub for the Water Metro. The proposed Thevara terminal is also a key component of the Water Metro’s expansion strategy, envisioned to offer rapid connectivity to the western islands and Edakochi.
It aims to link water transport with city buses for seamless travel across Kochi’s backwaters to areas such as Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, Kumbalam and Edakochi, reducing road travel time. It was also planned as a hub for a feeder service connecting Kadavanthra and the South region.
“For Thevara, we are facing land issues in setting up the terminal. We have been trying to acquire the mostly unused KURTC depot land. However, the KSRTC is refusing to part with the land and is quoting high amounts,” said a senior Water Metro official.
KWML initially sought about two acres from the five-acre parcel, or potentially the entire land, to develop a multi-modal transport hub. The KSRTC is demanding a market rate, which the transport department is yet to approve, leading to the current stalemate.
This delay directly impacts key proposed routes, including Thevara–Ernakulam–Willingdon Island and Thevara–Kumbalam–Edakochi. The KWML has so far completed the construction of 12 terminals and operationalised six routes — High Court–Fort Kochi, High Court–Vypeen, Vyttila–Kakkanad, High Court–South Chittoor, South Chittoor–Cheranelloor and High Court–Willingdon Island–Mattancherry.
Site for maintenance yard yet to be finalised
Meanwhile, the Water Metro has also suffered a setback in its plan to establish a dedicated maintenance yard — crucial for sustaining operational efficiency and enabling future network growth — at Vallarpadam.
“Initially, we were planning to utilise the five-acre government land at Vallarpadam for the maintenance yard and had even completed the survey. However, this plan had to be dropped after the Cochin Shipyard intervened, approached the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and secured a directive from the Central government to allot the land to the shipyard instead. We are now seeking an alternative land parcel,” the official said.
The initial site proposed was over five acres of land at KINFRA. However, this plan was scrapped because the Kozhichira bund, located past the Kakkanad Water Metro terminal, physically prevents the boats from reaching the area.
“Resolving the land issues at Thevara and securing a new site for the maintenance hub are essential for the Kochi Water Metro to achieve its full potential and serve city’s commuters as intended,” the official added.
Initial site at KINFRA
The initial site proposed was over five acres of land at KINFRA. However, this plan was scrapped because the Kozhichira bund, located past the Kakkanad Water Metro terminal, physically prevents boats from reaching the area