On Saturday, a team of experts from the Kochi Water Metro Project investigated the viability of building a water metro along the Tapi River.
Using two boats, the team—which included boat design specialist Arjun Krishna and marine civil engineer Nishant—surveyed a 10-kilometer section of the Tapi River between the Causeway and Valak Patiya. There were also representatives from the Fire Department and the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC).
The expert team will provide a report on the viability of the Surat Water Metro project after the survey. “The team from Kochi Metro Rail Limited is here to assess the feasibility of a water metro in the Tapi River, following the model of Kochi’s water metro,” SMC City Engineer Dharmesh Bhagwakar told a section of media. To demonstrate the Tapi River’s current state, we started the survey from the Causeway. We intend to begin the water metro on a 22-kilometre course initially. A determination regarding the viability of the water metro in Surat will be made following the submission of the report.
Geographical elements, including water flow, level, velocity, nature, and current in the Tapi Rive, differ from those in Kochi, which may make it impossible to replicate the water metro’s characteristics in Surat. The specialists will provide a customised report to address these factors and design the project appropriately. To create metro boats that can cross all seven of the Tapi River’s bridges, the team will also measure the width and height of each bridge. The crew has also collected information on the flow and water levels during the routine and monsoon seasons.
According to Nishant, the marine civil engineer working on it, over 30 lakh people have benefited from the Kochi Water Metro project, which has been operating effectively for 1.5 years. “Our purpose is to research and examine Surat. A report will be generated outlining the necessary actions and how the project can be performed. The Kochi water metro project cannot be directly executed because of Surat’s varied hydraulic parameters, water flow, level, velocity, and current. We’ll conduct research and write a report depending on what we discover,” he declared.
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