Government Order dropping six Water Metro terminals in Keralam’s Kochi draws flak

The decision to scale down the number of Water Metro terminals in the Greater Kochi region from 38 to 33 could affect ferry connectivity from the city, especially to locales in West Kochi like Edakochi and Palluruthy, it is learnt.

The terminals that have been dropped are Thevara, Aster, Amrita, Kothad, Cheriyamthuruth, and Mulavukad, while Nettoor has been ‘included’ in the list.

Sources in Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) attributed the reduction in the number of terminals to a Government Order (GO) issued in this regard by the Transport department. The GO dated September 28, however, attributed the rationale to drop six terminals to a letter dated August 13 sent by (then) managing director of the metro agency. In it, he ‘formally proposes to drop six unviable terminals’ that had been originally included in the water metro’s detailed project report, citing ‘operational, navigational and project-related concerns, and land availability’, the GO says.

The terminal at Thevara has been dropped citing non-availability of land (owned by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation), while Aster has been dropped ‘due to inadequate width and depth of the navigational channel, the large number of Chinese fishing nets, and the low vertical clearance beneath the bridge’. The GO further speaks of Amrita being dropped due to ‘project-related and operational constraints’, of Kothad to ‘boat manoeuvring issues due to proposed Chennur-Kothad bridge’, of Cheriyamthuruth to ‘a bridge that has been proposed’, and of Mulavukad panchayat to ‘extremely low patronage in the current South Chitoor-Eloor route with stoppage at Mulavukad north’.

While acknowledging that land for the Nettoor terminal has already been acquired, the GO attributes the ‘addition’ of Netoor to the list to ‘it would serve as a key feeder route for daily commuters to the Kakkanad-Infopark IT corridor, and to alleviate traffic congestion along the NH 66 corridor’.

Critics say the decision to drop at least two of the six terminals would affect the intended water-transport connectivity to places located far away from the city.

Thevara critical

Ebenser Chullikat, founder-member of Kochi Metro Passengers’ Forum, said the decision to drop the Thevara terminal would be a big mistake and cripple the water metro’s southward expansion. “More than just host a terminal, Thevara was planned as a multi-modal hub on a five-acre land [owned by KSRTC]. The terminal was conceived here to connect the southern side of Kochi city with Edakochi, Kumbalam, Nettoor, and Thopumpady, while feeder buses were to operate from here to different parts of the city. The terminal held immense potential to decongest roads from these places to the city,” he said.

He further rued the decision to drop the Kothad terminal for which land had been acquired and piling had begun. The reason ‘navigational constraints due to a bridge’ is weak since the alignment of the bridge is yet to be finalised. Apart from Kothad, the terminal held immense potential to serve commuters, including from Pizhala and Moolampilly, he added.

CPI(M) Ernakulam district secretary S. Satheesh demanded that the government build all the 38 terminals as had been planned. “The Water Metro project was conceived to lessen commuting woes and to decongest the city and roads leading to the city. In Thevara, the government could easily have resolved the matter of land by prevailing on the KSRTC which owned the land,” he added.