Kolkata: PM Modi today on Wednesday inaugurated India’s first underwater metro service in Kolkata, which is an engineering marvel in itself.
#WATCH | West Bengal: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates and lays the foundation stone of multiple connectivity projects worth Rs. 15,400 crores, in Kolkata. pic.twitter.com/5UseNpxwZ2
— ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2024
The Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section, an unprecedented addition to the metropolitan transport network, is acclaimed as India’s first metro tunnel under a significant river.
This underwater wonder, located beneath the Hooghly River that divides Kolkata and Howrah, boasts of the country’s deepest metro station, Howrah Metro Station. The completion of a test journey in April 2023 marked an important milestone for the Kolkata Metro, which involved crossing a tunnel 32 meters below water level.
According to researchers, the concept of an underwater transportation system similar to London’s was initially proposed by the British in 1921. The 4.8 km stretch of East-West Metro from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade, built at a cost of Rs 4,965 crore, is a testament to engineering ingenuity and a historic advancement in India’s metro infrastructure.
This is PM Modi’s second visit to Bengal within 5 days. This visit of PM Modi to Bengal is part of his 10-day tour, in which he will visit 12 states and union territories. It is believed that PM Modi wants to visit as many states as possible and announce many schemes before the announcement of Lok Sabha elections.
Projects inaugurated by PM Modi during Bengal visit:
PM Modi inaugurated the Howrah Maidan-Esplanade section of Kolkata Metro’s East-West corridor, signaling India’s first venture into underwater Metro services. According to an official release, the 4.8-km stretch of the East-West Metro has been built at a cost of ₹4,965 crore and will have the deepest Metro station in India at Howrah – 30 meters below the ground level. The corridor will help connect key areas such as the IT hub Salt Lake Sector V.
PM Modi also flagged off other train services during his visit to Kolkata focusing on enhancing avenues for ensuring ease of urban mobility. These include – the Kavi Subhash-Hemanta Mukhopadhyay and the Taratala-Majerhat Metro sections.
Apart from these, PM Modi also dedicated to the nation Pune Metro from Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi stretch; Kochi Metro Rail Phase I Extension project (Phase IB) from SN Junction Metro station to Tripunithura Metro station; Agra Metro’s stretch from Taj East Gate to Mankameshwar; and Duhai-Modinagar (North) section of Delhi-Meerut RRTS Corridor.
Later in the afternoon, PM Modi is expected to address a public rally at Barasat in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, where Sandeshkhali is situated.
