T’puram: The Thiruvananthapuram Metro Rail project is set to move another step forward, with Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) preparing to submit the revised detailed project report (DPR) to the state govt next week, following a fresh technical review by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).The revised DPR will incorporate minor changes suggested after a site inspection conducted by the DMRC team last week. The modifications are aimed primarily at avoiding demolition of buildings at the proposed 16 stations and reducing the social impact of the proposed metro alignment, particularly in densely built-up stretches of the capital.KMRL is expected to receive the updated technical inputs from DMRC on Saturday, following which the revised DPR will be finalised for submission to the state govt. The latest exercise comes after DMRC had originally prepared a DPR proposing an elevated metro corridor for the first phase.The project envisages a 31km corridor connecting Pappanamcode with Enchakkal and covering several major residential, commercial and institutional areas, including Karamana, Thampanoor, Palayam, Medical College, Ulloor, Sreekaryam, Kazhakkoottam, Technopark, Akkulam, Kochuveli and the airport. Earlier reports had put the number of stations at 27.However, the alignment has come under renewed scrutiny following demands for underground metro sections through particularly congested parts of the city. Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor urged the KMRL to consider underground construction along stretches such as Karamana-Ulloor and Kazhakkoottam-Akkulam to reduce traffic disruption, land acquisition and the impact on the city’s urban landscape.DMRC has now also been asked to examine the feasibility of a hybrid model, under which the metro would remain elevated in most stretches but go underground at selected locations where such construction is considered technically and socially advantageous.The feasibility exercise will examine issues including the possibility of taking the metro underground and bringing it back to the elevated alignment, besides the technical implications and additional requirements. If DMRC finds the underground sections feasible, the proposal will be incorporated into the revised DPR before it is sent to the state govt.KMRL managing director Loknath Behera told TOI that the DMRC will submit the revised DPR to KMRL soon and KMRL will subsequently submit it to the state govt next week. “The team was in the city for the feasibility study of the underground section suggested by the MP. Once KMRL submits the revised DPR, the state govt will have to take the final decision on the alignment and the inclusion of underground sections. A govt decision will subsequently enable KMRL and DMRC to revise the DPR, if required, and move ahead with the approval process,” he said.The project has already faced repeated delays over alignment, technical and policy issues. KMRL had earlier indicated that the DPR was undergoing detailed technical scrutiny before being forwarded to the govt.The estimated cost of the first phase has been reported at around Rs 8,000 crore. Earlier proposals had favoured an entirely elevated corridor, partly because underground construction would substantially increase the project cost.With the latest DMRC inspection and feasibility assessment, the govt will now have to weigh project cost against the need to minimise demolition, land acquisition and disruption in the capital’s busiest urban stretches before giving the final go-ahead to the revised alignment.
