AFD team in Kochi to review metro

In February last year, AFD had sanctioned a loan to tune of Rs 1,527 cr to Kochi Metro

A four-member team  from  Agence Francaise de - Development (AFD) will visit the Kochi metro rail office  on July 29.  Priscille De Coninck and Arnaud Dauphin, project managers from the sustainable and transport division (AFD Paris) will lead the  mission, which also includes Cheikh Dia and Gautier Kohler,  project officers at the New Delhi office of AFD.

Last February, AFD had sanctioned Rs 1,527 crore loan to the project.

The AFD team will review the various project components.  The other objective is to introduce  Coninck, who recently replaced  Xavier Hoang as project manager in charge of Kochi project at AFD headquarters.

The team will conduct a site visit and meet the main stakeholders, including members of the Kochi Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA).

They are also likely to review the progress of the  work,  procurement plans under process  and the modalities of transfer of funds, a release stated.

AFD is developing a technical assistance programme, which is expected to be launched by the  end of  this  year   with the assistance of French embassy in India on a  grant basis amounting to  800,000 euros.

The mission would discuss the content and implementation structure of the programme, which will mainly be based on the Kochi UMTA roadmap and KMRL operation and maintenance strategy.

It will also review the various study under progress like environmental and social impact analysis study,  traffic-oriented development study and rehabilitation and resettlement  policy, it added.

The total estimated cost for Kochi metro is Rs 5,180 crore and the first phase  is scheduled to be completed by 2016. It will have 22 stations and a system length of 26 km.