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‘Open to conducting feasibility study for Water Metro in Jharkhand’
Kochi Water Metro also provides consultancy in terms of conducting feasibility study and making detailed project reports for promotion of water metro both within and outside the country.
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The Kochi Water Metro, a jointly owned public transport project of the Kerala government and Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), is open to conducting a feasibility study for implementing a water metro service on Jharkhand’s navigable waterways if the state government expresses its intent to engage the agency for the purpose, officials said on Monday.
Kochi Water Metro, the only public transport service of its kind in the country, comprises fifteen identified routes connecting thirty eight jetties across ten island communities and two boatyards, providing ferry service in an air-conditioned atmosphere at affordable rate, besides reducing travel time between important destinations along the backwaters of the port city.
Besides operating the ferry services, the Kochi Water Metro also provides consultancy in terms of conducting feasibility study and making detailed project reports for promotion of water metro both within and outside the country.
“We have conducted feasibility study at around 18 locations in the country besides holding similar exercise for government organisations in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam. Whether the project can be successful in Jharkhand or not, that can be ascertained only after a feasibility study could be conducted. We are open to hold consultancy if the Jharkhand government or any of its department are willing to get it done,” Shaji P Janardhanan, Chief General Manager, Kochi Water Metro told reporters on Monday.
Going by the geographical topography of Jharkhand, such a project could be implemented along the Ganges river that flows through Sahebganj district in the state for public transport, besides large water bodies including major dams for tourism purposes, officials said.
As per the official website, the Kochi water metro project envisages the development of 15 identified routes, connecting 10 islands along a network of routes that span 78 km with a fleet of 78 fast, electrically propelled hybrid ferries plying to 38 jetties. More than 33,000 islanders in the backwaters of Kochi are expected to benefit from the water metro.
The headways of Kochi Water Metro, which was inaugurated on April 25, 2023, varies between 10 minutes to 20 minutes across various routes at peak hours.
Currently, officials said, the network is operational only across 26 kilometres with around two dozen metro boats.
With fares being restricted between ₹ 20-40, the water metro transport is one of the most affordable means of transport in the city, besides cutting out on travel time. “Travelling from High Court Water Metro terminal to Fort Kochi Water Metro station, the travel time by road would be at least an hour. But using the water metro one can travel that distance in 20 minutes,” an official said.
