Even as the State government recently accorded administrative sanction for Kochi Metro’s 11.20-km-long Kakkanad extension, heads of SmartCity and Kinfra have sought metro connectivity to their locales.
They jointly met the managing director of Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), Elias George, about a week ago and submitted their request, metro sources said. The Rs. 2,017-crore Phase- 1 B metro extension begins from Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kaloor, passes through Kakkanad Junction and ends at Infopark.
“The government accorded sanction for the Kakkanad extension based on the detailed project report by RITES. The technical and financial feasibility of further extending the metro by a few kilometres has to be studied in detail, especially since this would incur additional expenses. This could however be done just like metro’s Phase-1 A terminal station was shifted from Pettah to Tripunithura as part of its Tripunithura extension,” the sources said.
On raising funds to execute the extension to the two locales, they said it could be done on a cost-sharing basis. Metro stakeholders had proposed a similar method to raise funds for the project’s airport extension from Aluva or in case the metro is extended northward, from Angamaly.
Centre’s nod
The metro’s Kakkanad extension is awaiting the Centre’s formal nod. “But we can go ahead with preparatory works such as widening narrow corridors to pave the way for metro’s viaduct,” metro officials said.
A Revenue Department official said the KMRL, which might execute the Kakkanad extension, must give them detailed drawings of the plots of land that have to be acquired, following which stones can be laid and compensation amounts fixed by district-level purchase committee.
