PM Modi to dedicate India’s first water metro in Kochi on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation, India’s first Water Metro in Kochi on April 25.

“This one of its kind projects connects 10 islands around Kochi through battery-operated electric hybrid boats for seamless connectivity with Kochi city,” a statement issued by the Government said. Water Metro is a unique urban mass transit system with the same experience and ease of travel as that of a conventional metro system. It has strong relevance for cities, such as Kochi, mostly surrounded by backwaters and bordered by the Arabian Sea.

In a tweet, Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan said, “The world-class #KochiWaterMetro is setting sail! It is Kerala’s dream project connecting 10 islands in and around Kochi. KWM with 78 electric boats & 38 terminals cost 1,136.83 crores, funded by GoK & KfW. Exciting times are ahead for our transport and tourism sectors.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister Office said that Modi government has made a conscious choice to avoid a one-size fits all approach in providing infrastructure and connectivity. A prime example of this approach is seen in the expansion of metro connectivity in the country. As on date, there are 15 Indian cities that have an active metro rail service and an operational metro map. These cities include Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Gurugram, Mumbai, Noida, Kochi, Lucknow, Nagpur, Kanpur, and Pune.

HBL