KOCHI: The aspirations of the people of West Kochi for a Metro line will not materialise in the near future with the Kochi Metro Rail Limited terming it as unviable. Concurring with the opinion of DMRC principal advisor E. Sreedharan, who has termed phase II of the project as not feasible, KMRL authorities said the West Kochi line cannot be taken up due to economic and technical reasons.
“Though there has been a strong demand from the public, MLAs and other elected representatives to extend the project to West Kochi, it is not in our recent plans as there are technical and other hurdles. As per the RITES study report, the West Kochi extension, which will start from Jose junction to reach Thoppumpady, Mattancherry and Fort Kochi, will cost Rs 3, 600 crore. Construction works along the narrow roads in the heritage zones of West Kochi will be a challenge,” said a KMRL spokesperson.
The Metro agency had entrusted RITES to undertake a feasibility study on West Kochi extension in September 2014. Mr E. Sreedharan, during a meeting here on Tuesday, said that the estimated Rs 3,600 crore for West Kochi line was inadequate. The project cost would be more than Rs 6,000 crore as construction would be technically complicated.
Earlier, Fort Kochi residents, art connoisseurs and heritage conservationists had expressed apprehensions over the impact of largescale construction activities in the heritage zone.
“As per the current plans, we will take up Angamaly line in the second phase, with a proposed loop line to Cochin International Airport,” added the official.
