Know the complete details of South Asia's first Water Metro Service in Kochi; 10 points

In yet another milestone for the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off South Asia's first Water Metro Service in Kerala's Kochi on April 25. PM Modi will inaugurate the first route of the Water Metro between High Court Junction and Vypin.

The Water Metro project aims to facilitate access to business areas on the mainland for urban homes located along the Kochi lakeshore while simultaneously reducing traffic congestion and pollution in the city. In order to increase passengers, the Kochi Water Metro project plans to frequently launch new, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and safe boats with low wake and draft characteristics.

On the water metro, the minimum and maximum ticket prices are 20 and 40 rupees, respectively. High court-Vypin will cost Rs. 20, while Vyttila-Kakkanad would cost Rs. In honor of the inauguration, there are discounts. Ticket prices range from Rs 180 for a weekly pass to Rs 600 for a monthly pass to Rs 1500 for a quarterly pass. 

Here are 10 significant points about Water Metro:

1. The Kochi water metro project involves the construction of 15 routes, which will connect 10 islands along a network of 78 km-long routes, using a fleet of 78 quick, electrically-propelled hybrid ferries that will stop at 38 jetties. The water metro is anticipated to benefit more than 100,000 island people.

2. A long-term loan agreement of 85 million Euros (INR 579 crore) with German funding, KfW (Kreditanstault fur Weideraufbou), for the development of an integrated water transport system for the city of Kochi, accounts for the majority of the project's Rs 819 crore total cost.

3. The project is intending to use the inland waterways in and around Kochi the major share of the waterways are- National Waterways (NW3)- 40%, Cochin Port Trust Waters- 33%, existing routers under irrigation - 20%, other inland water- 7%.

4. The Water Metro project comprises fifteen identified routes connecting 38 jetties across 10 island communities and 2 boatyards. The total length of the line lengths of these 15 routes is 76.2 km. 

5. The headways shall vary between 10 minutes to 20 minutes across various routes at peak hours. All along the courses, there will be navigational buoys and night navigating assistance.

6. The various components involved in the Water Metro Project are:

• Boat Terminals and Access Infrastructure
• Boats
• Boatyards
• Dredging along the identified routes and terminals
• Systems- Navigation, AFC, PIS, VCS, CCTV and Operation, and Control Centre

7. The three types of boat terminals are - Major, Intermediate and Minor Terminals- based on their size and capacity.

8. Each boat terminal has a paid section and an unpaid section. A non-paying section contained the ticketing office, ticket vending machine, station control, etc. In the paying area, there is a waiting area with restrooms, etc. Automated fare collecting and turnstile systems are available at every terminal to make it easier to count passengers.

9. Floating jetties have been adopted to facilitate the embarkation and disembarkation of physically challenged elderly commuters. The floating pontoons are provided to cater to the tidal variation.  In order to ensure comfort during the rainy months, the floating pontoons are covered by retractable sheds.

10. For passenger services, 78 eco-friendly boats are available. 53 of them are designed for 50 passengers, while 23 are intended for 100 passengers. The electric motor boats can carry between 50 and 100 passengers and travel at a maximum speed of up to 22 kph. They function at an ideal speed of around 15 kph. 

The Arabian Sea borders Kochi on three sides, with backwaters on the other. The Water Metro intends to address the transportation needs of the residents of the islands of Willington, Kumbalam Vypeen, Edakochi, Nettoor, Vyttila, Eloor, Kakkanad, and Mulavukad.
 

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