PM Modi inaugurates India’s first underwater metro line in Kolkata


PTI, Mar 6, 2024, 2:15 PM IST

Credit: X / @narendramodi

Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated Kolkata Metro’s Esplanade-Howrah Maidan section, which passes below the mighty Hooghly river through the country’s first underwater transportation tunnel.

He also took a ride on a metro train from Esplanade to Howrah Maidan and interacted with school students during the journey passing through the tunnel, which is a testament to the country’s engineering capabilities.

He returned to the Esplanade station through the same route, and was accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in the state Suvendu Adhikari during the trip.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not attend the programme.

The 4.8-km Esplanade-Howrah Maidan stretch, which is a part of the East-West Corridor, has been built at a cost of Rs 4,960 crore, officials said.

The PM also inaugurated the 1.25-km-long Taratala-Majherhat section of the Joka-Esplanade line. It has been built at a cost of Rs 520 crore, they said.

The Rs 1,430-crore Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay section of the New Garia-Airport line was also inaugurated from the function at the Esplanade metro station.

The Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay stretch, which is 5.4 km long, will bring the areas in the south-eastern parts of Kolkata on the metro map, officials said.

These sections will help decongest road traffic and provide seamless, easy and comfortable connectivity, a statement said.

The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of the East-West corridor has the first transportation tunnel under ”any mighty river in India”. It passes under the Hooghly river, on the east and west banks of which Kolkata and Howrah are situated.

The stretch also has the deepest metro station in the country — the Howrah metro station, at 32 metre below the ground.

The East-West metro corridor, the construction for which commenced on April 14, 2009, has suffered several delays owing to various issues, including accidents at Bowbazar in central Kolkata.

The stretch between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade is the second section of the corridor, in which commercial operations would begin. With this, only the Esplanade-Sealdah stretch of the line is left to be completed.

Metro Railway general manager P Uday Kumar Reddy had earlier said it is targeting June-July this year to start commercial operation on the entire line.

Completion of the project has suffered delays owing to an aquifer burst at Bowbazar on August 31, 2019, leading to severe ground subsidence and the collapse of a number of buildings there and two more water leakage incidents at the same site in 2022 during tunneling and construction work.

The Salt Lake Sector V to Sealdah stretch of the East-West Metro corridor is commercially operational at present.

Of the total 16.6 km length of the line, the underground section is 10.8 km long between Howrah Maidan and Phoolbagan, while the rest is elevated.

The Majerhat metro station of the Taratala-Majerhat section is a unique elevated metro station across railway lines, platforms and a canal, the statement said.

The 6.5-km section between Joka and Taratala of the Joka-Esplanade line is already operational.

Along with these, the PM unveiled metro projects in various cities of the country. These projects are cumulatively worth around Rs 15,400 crore, officials said.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

India crawl to 51 for 4 after losing top-order

Nursing student suicide: Three students arrested in Kerala

Nadda’s letter to Kharge full of falsehoods: Cong

10 month baby gets new heart, new life

Actress Kasthuri released from jail, says ‘I thank those who made me raging storm’

Kidnapped for ransom in 1998, 26/11 survivor Gautam Adani faces biggest trial

100 engineering colleges in Karnataka to be ‘adopted’ by corporates by next year: IT Minister Kharge

Related Articles More

Kerala HC denies bail to police officer accused of ‘raping’ minor Dalit girl

Nursing student suicide: Three students arrested in Kerala

Nadda’s letter to Kharge full of falsehoods: Cong

Mumbai terror accused Rana approaches US Supreme Court to challenge extradition to India

Who will be next Maharashtra CM? Mahayuti, MVA constituents drop different names

MUST WATCH

Christmas Cake Fruit Mixing

DK Shivakumar

Rose Cultivation

Geethotsava

Naxal Operation


Latest Additions

Baku climate talks: The ‘X’ factor that could determine future of Global South

Kerala HC denies bail to police officer accused of ‘raping’ minor Dalit girl

Global Bhagavad Gita Quiz Announced: Registration now open

Kasaragod: Husband murders woman PSI

Puttur: Private bus crashes into house to avoid collision with school bus

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.