KOCHI: Right from the start of the project report to waiting for the commissioning till Maharaja’s College, and working through the heart of the city the journey has been satisfying, said Elias George, former KMRL MD, who has been in the forefront in the initial phase of Kochi Metro work. “One of the main challenges was acquiring large hectares of land from people. Gladly, we were able to manage it without much pain and friction. Acquiring lands was tricky.
But we ensured that it does not become a factor delaying the project. Many people, especially those who are not financially well off, quite gladly gave us their land. It is a big factor that the value of the remaining land has gone up,” said George. Kochi Metro project is the first metro in the country that connects rail, road and water transport facilities. The benefits of Metro will be enjoyed by people from all walks of life. “Once the Water Metro comes in, Kochi will be one of the two or three cities in the world where metro service operates on land and water,” he said.