A high-level delegation from French funding agency Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) visited Kochi Metro’s operational control centre (OCC) and coach depot at Muttom and also key stations on Tuesday, concluding their two-day appraisal visit of the project.
The team visited metro stations at Maharaja’s College Ground, Palarivattom, Edappally, Aluva and Muttom. The team subsequently visited the premises of Ernakulam Junction railway station where a 95-metre-long balanced cantilever (pillarless) viaduct is being built over railway lines. They also visited worksites at Aluva and Edappally where modern footpaths are being built. A sum of ₹10 crore is being spent at each of the two junctions to widen and landscape them.
In their meeting with Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) officials, they discussed the progress of metro works on the Aluva-Pettah stretch, status of procurement of different components, updated calendar of implementation, submission of quarterly progress report and drawdown forecast. They also took stock of ridership, revenue, potential difficulties encountered during operation, etc., during the initial months of operation.
Discussions were also held on the next stage for funding metro extensions, depending on the changes made in the detailed project report. Currently, AFD has granted a ₹1,500-crore loan for the 25-km Aluva-Pettah corridor which is slated to cost ₹5,182 crore.
It has also promised ₹1,300 crore for the 11-km-long, ₹2,577-crore Kakkanad extension. The scope of work for the ‘Mobilize your City’ initiative in Kochi too was discussed at the meeting.
Initiatives lauded
The French team appreciated the progress of metro works. They said that they were happy to associate with KMRL, especially since this was a flagship project of the metro agency.
They further lauded initiatives other than transit undertaken by KMRL, like the Water Metro project which will see introduction of 78 modern ferries in the Greater Kochi region and the project to bring about seamless integration of different commuting modes.
The team comprised Herve Dubreuil (Deputy Director, AFD India), Lise Breuil (Head, Transport Division, AFD Paris) and Mathieu Verdure (Project Manager, Transport Division, AFD Paris).
Agency bags award
In the meantime, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has conferred KMRL with the award for its ongoing project ‘Seamless Transport for Kochi’, in the category “Best City in Urban Transport Initiatives’.
The award was presented by K.T. Rama Rao, Minister for IT, Electronics and Communications, Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Government of Telangana, during the valedictory session of the 10th Urban Mobility India Conference held on Monday at Hyderabad.
The award was received by K.R. Jyothilal, Transport Secretary, and Thiruman Archunan, Director, KMRL projects.
