Kakkanad extension of Metro soon.

With the Kochi Metro Rail Limited coming out with the final alignment of the metro rail link to Kakkanad, steps are on to regulate construction along the Palarivattom- Kakkanad stretch.

According to officials, KMRL has approached the State government seeking to initiate statutory steps to notify the stretch as part of the metro corridor. 'We are in the process of making it mandatory for the civil constructions within 50 metres on both sides of the stretch to get a No-Objection Certificate from KMRL,' said Managing Director Elias George.

According to him, KMRL hopes to get an approval for the project from the Union government, which is currently under consideration of the State Government, by January. Following which the proceedings for land acquisition will be taken up.

Sources said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had promised to expedite the Cabinet approval for the project, which was expected within two weeks.

As per the alignment fixed by KMRL, the extension starts from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kaloor will pass through Palarivattom, Padamugal and Pump junction to reach the Airport-Seaport road and proceed to the Infopark campus located at Chittethukara.

The link would be dotted with 11 metro stations – Kaloor stadium, Palarivattom Junction, Palarivattom Bypass, Chembumukku, Vazhakkala, Kunnumpuram, Kakkanad junction, SEZ, Chittethukara, Rajagiri and Infopark I and Infopark II.

Revenue officials said the proceedings for survey of land would begin only after KMRL submits the requisition and the alignment plan to the District Collector. The survey would be preceded by a study on the encroachments along the stretch.

A Detailed Project Report by KMRL projects a passenger volume of 1.26 lakh daily in the stretch between Kaloor and Infopark while estimating 7,939 passengers per hour per direction by 2,020, which would rise to 10,890 by 2031. The cost of establishing the 11.17 KM extension is estimated to be around Rs. 1,627 crore, excluding taxes.


THE HINDU