Kochi: Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) Managing Director Elias George on Saturday said that he would not be involved in construction of second phase of Kochi Metro project from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium to Kakkanad and that his focus would be now on quick realisation of Rs 783-crore Water Metro Project. "I still remember when the project (Kochi Metro) was at drawing stage. From there to make it happen in record time gives you immense satisfaction. There are young guns in service who can take up the responsibility and carry out the same efficiently. My focus is now on the realisation of Water Metro in 2019," Mr George.
Noting that he had briefed about the Water Metro project in detail to the Prime Minister, the senior IAS officer said he could already "visualise the launch ceremony in which boats could be arranged in a ‘V’ formation”. “The General Consultant for the Water Project was selected recently but after that we got busy with the Metro inauguration. Now we’ll speed up the project. It requires minimum investment in terms of infrastructure like jetties. Already the structure is there and we just need to sit and plan before implementing it,” he said.
On the new funding proposal of 180 million euros before the AFD Board aimed at partially financing Phase II of the Kochi metro, including a new line and various urban mobility improvement works, the official said the board has already passed the application and is ready to extend the fund. On further progress of the Kochi Metro Project, he said the DMRC had informed him that the five-Km Palarivattom-Maharajas College station construction works would be finished by October.
