The State government has informed the Union Urban Affairs Ministry that it has accepted the detailed project report (DPR) prepared by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for the light metro in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. The State has demanded that Rs.200 crore be set aside in the Union budget 2015-16 for the project, estimated to cost Rs.6,728 crore.
The letter signalling the State’s approval for the 35.12-km project in the two cities was written by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu, official sources told The Hindu . Mr. Naidu’s help has been sought for Kerala to become a forerunner in light metro, which is proposed for the first time in the country. The reasons for abandoning monorail, earlier envisaged for the two cities, have been listed.
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The project has been proposed as a joint venture between the Union and State governments on the Delhi Metro pattern at a cost of Rs.160 crore a km. The Centre’s contribution for Thiruvananthapuram will be Rs.805 crore and for Kozhikode, Rs.473 crore, for five years.
Quoting the 2011 Census figures, it has been pointed out that the two cities qualify for the one-million threshold level for introducing MRTS and has adequate per hour per direction traffic. Light metro can also negotiate sharp curves up to 60 metre radius and gradient as steep as six per cent.
The two cities have no reliable public transport system and motor vehicles can ply only at 10 to 12 km per hour through the narrow roads. Bus Rapid Transit System is not feasible as large-scale demolition is needed for widening and in view of the escalating land price.
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