Even as political parties and many others are insisting that Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) beat the odds and build Kochi metro stations at Chembumukku and Padamugal as had been envisaged, the metro agency has handed over to the district administration details such as the extent of land needed at the two locales to house the two critical stations in the metro’s 11.20-km Pink Line proposed in the JLN Stadium-Infopark corridor.
There were hassles associated with land acquisition for the two stations, with a church reportedly reluctant to hand over a part of its land. This led to Hibi Eden, MP, and Uma Thomas, MLA, seeking the metro agency’s stand on the issue. Recently, the Trikkakkara mandalam committee of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took out a march between the two stations located over a kilometre apart, demanding speedy land acquisition and timely commencement of their construction, citing how land acquisition for the rest of the eight stations in the metro’s Kakkanad extension (Pink Line) was over.
The metro agency had in November said that it was hopeful of the stations coming up as scheduled at the two locales. But the extent of the Chembumukku station would have to be reduced, heeding to requests from members of the church, while the one at Padamukal was to come up on a vacant plot on the basis of the social impact assessment (SIA). The agency had entrusted its design and technical wings with the task.
With the extent of land needed at the two stations handed over to the district administration, tenders will shortly be invited to construct entry/exit of five stations — including the two in the Pink Line. The contract to build entry/exit of the five other stations had been awarded earlier, and works are on. Piling is getting over for the stations near Collectorate Junction and Cochin Special Economic Zone (CSEZ), while it is on for Chittetukara, KINFRA and Infopark stations, official sources said.
Kochi Metro Rail Limited had in September floated the design-and-build contract tender to construct the 11.20-km viaduct and 10 stations of the metro’s Kakkanad extension. It is in the process of evaluating the tenders. In addition, efforts are under way to widen the JLN Stadium-Palarivattom corridor into a 22-metre wide four-lane corridor by February. This is the sole corridor whose widening is pending, they added.
