The very first underwater metro tunnel is going to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 6. The metro tunnel is built in Kolkata. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Railway Minister expressed that in the last decade, the project has progressed to completion substantially. It is the East-West Metro corridor of which the under-river tunnel is a part. This is one of the many phases of the Kolkata Metro project.
The under-river metro tunnel
The under-river metro tunnel is located under the Hooghly River. The tunnel holds the status of the very first underwater river tunnel in the country that is specifically designed for metro rail service. The length of the tunnel is 10.8 km and the breadth of the tunnel is 5.5 meters. A 520-meter portion of the tunnel extends beneath the River Hooghly. Interestingly, the roof of the tunnel is over 30 meters below the ground level!
It was in the year 2021 when the construction of the tunnel was completed. It was the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation that constructed the tunnel.
ALSO READ: India's First Water Metro in Kochi: All you need to Know
Connectivity to be provided by Airtel
It is interesting to note that Airtel has expressed its plans to make uninterrupted connectivity for the passengers in the metro a certainty by setting up high-capacity nodes. These high-capacity nodes are to be installed about 35 meters below the surface of the River Hooghly.
Decrease in travel time of the passengers
It is expected that this special project of the metro train will be covering the distance in a time duration of even less than a minute. This would provide the passengers with a never-like-before experience of super speedy travel. After the operation of this section gets started, the Howrah will be designated as the deepest metro station in India. It will be situated about 33 meters below the surface.
ALSO READ: Which Are the 7 Oldest Metro Stations in the World? Know Details Here
Why were there delays in the completion of the project?
The project suffered immense delays in completion due to an aquifer burst on August 31, 2019, at Bowbazar, central Kolkata. The incidence led to drastic ground subsidence. The collapse of multiple buildings and two more incidents of water leakage at the very same site in the year 2022 at the time of construction also contributed to the delay in the completion of the project.
The inauguration event
Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the Howarah Maidan-Esplanade section of the Kolkata Metro Railway next week.
As per a government release on March 3, the Taratala-Majerhat metro section and the Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay metro section will also be inaugurated by the Prime Minister. According to the release, the focus is on enhancing avenues that ensure ease of urban mobility.
According to the government release, from March 4 to March 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting the states of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar.
The release further said that the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section, or the East West Metro Corridor holds the very first transportation tunnel under “any mighty river in India”.
The Kavi Subhash-Airport line's Kavi-Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay metro section, along with the Taratala-Majerhat section, a section of the Joka-Esplanade line.
According to P Uday Kumar Reddy, the Metro Railway General Manager, the months of June-July of the year 2024 have been targeted to commence the commercial operation in the complete route of the East-West alignment.
At present, the East-West Metro corridor's Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah stretch is commercially operational.
Comments
All Comments (0)
Join the conversation