Even two years after awarding the work on integrated urban rejuvenation and water transport system (IURWTS) project, theKochi Metro Rail Ltd(KMRL) the nodal agency is yet to secure environmental clearance for the project fromKerala coastal zone management authority(KCZMA).
Though KCZMA has asked KMRL to “submit details and data regarding the implications of regulating water flow by the canal lock gates” on July 2, 2021, the Metro agency is yet to submit the details. When the Rs 1,528 crore IURWTS project, which was designed for cleaning and beautifying six canals in Kochi and making them navigable, was launched in November 2019, the plan was to start the work within six months.
Moreover, the land acquisition wing of KIIFB-funded projects in Kochi is overburdened. There are just 12 officials in the team which is to take care of land acquisition of all the KIIFB-funded project.