6 proposed Kochi Water Metro terminals including Thevara dropped, Nettoor added as feeder for Infopark corridor

Kochi: Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has dropped six proposed Water Metro terminals from the project’s approved network citing operational, navigational, land availability and project-related constraints, while adding a new terminal at Nettoor.

The original Detailed Project Report (DPR), approved in 2021, envisaged 38 terminals across 15 routes. With the deletion of six terminals, the number initially comes down to 32. The addition of Nettoor takes the approved network to 33 terminals.

The six terminals being dropped are Aster, Amritha, Kothad, Thevara, Cheriyamthuruth and Mulavkad Panchayat.

The changes have been approved by the state government through an order dated September 28. The government order said the decision followed proposals submitted by KMRL and was aimed at addressing practical difficulties associated with the proposed terminals.

KMRL has clarified that the changes are necessitated by practical and operational difficulties and will not affect the Water Metro’s planned suburban expansion.

According to the government order, the Aster terminal was found unviable because of inadequate channel width and depth, the presence of a large number of Chinese fishing nets and low air draft under the bridge. Amritha was dropped citing project-related and operational constraints.

Kothad was dropped because of boat manoeuvring difficulties arising from the proposed Chennur-Kothad bridge, while Cheriyamthuruth was dropped because of proposed bridge construction.

Thevara was dropped because the identified government land was not available. Mulavkad Panchayat station was dropped after extremely low patronage was observed on the existing South Chittoor-Eloor route, which has a stoppage at Mulavkad North.

Thevara connectivity concern
The decision to drop Thevara has raised concerns over connectivity between the western islands and mainland Ernakulam.

A former senior KMRL official associated with the Water Metro project, while speaking to Onmanorama, said Thevara had a strategically important role in the suburban network. “In my personal opinion, deleting Thevara will definitely impact connectivity. The other deletions are manageable, but Thevara was critical,” the official said.

“It served as the direct entry point into mainland Ernakulam from the western islands, effectively functioning as a gateway,” he added.

The terminal was earlier proposed in the vicinity of the KSRTC area, but the government order records the non-availability of the identified government land as the reason for its deletion.

The absence of Thevara could affect direct water connectivity for passengers from suburban areas such as Kumbalam and Edakochi to the southern edge of central Kochi, potentially redirecting the planned connectivity eastward through the Thykoodam-Vyttila corridor.

However, KMRL maintains that the changes do not affect its suburban expansion plans and are primarily a response to practical constraints encountered in implementing the original DPR.

Nettoor added to network
The government has meanwhile sanctioned the establishment of a Water Metro terminal at Nettoor.

KMRL had proposed Nettoor as a strategically important intermediate node in the corridor connecting Edakochi, Kumbalam, Nettoor, Thykkudam and Vyttila.

The government order describes the terminal as a key feeder node for daily commuters travelling towards the Kakkanad-Infopark IT corridor and says it is expected to help alleviate traffic congestion along NH-66.

A major advantage of the Nettoor terminal is that land for the facility has already been acquired. The government order also states that no Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance is required for the terminal.

According to the order, the project will not involve any additional financial liability for the state beyond the approved project cost framework. Construction has to be accommodated within the financial and administrative allocation already sanctioned for the Water Metro project.

The government has directed KMRL to formally amend the approved DPR to incorporate the deletion of the six terminals and the addition of Nettoor.

It has also stipulated that construction of the Nettoor terminal must be undertaken strictly within the existing approved allocation, with no additional financial commitment from the government.

With the addition of Nettoor, KMRL is expected to proceed with the suburban corridor while modifying the original network to account for the navigational, infrastructure and land-related constraints identified during implementation.