KMRL not to acquire extra land for its Operation Control Centre (OCC)

Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has ruled out the possibility of acquiring additional land for developing the Operation Control Centre (OCC). The decision to acquire additional land at the site was given up due to the project getting delayed due to land acquisition issues.

Land acquired

The Kochi Metro has proposed to develop the OCC near its coach maintenance yard near Mutton, in Aluva.  It had already acquired about 40 hectares of land at the Muttom yard for this purpose. As a result of this decision, the agency has decided to make the design of its maintenance unit more compact. It has also been proposed that the OCC will also be developed at the same site as the maintenance unit.

Hurdles in land acquisition

Incidentally, the OCC was proposed to be developed at a land parcel owned by the railways, at Ernakulam South railway station. However, due to the hurdles involved in  acquiring this land, the Kochi Metro backed out of this plan. It was later proposed that the OCC would be developed at the state government-owned land at Kaloor, which is currently under the control of the St.Albert’s college management. However, the acquisition process had to be given up since it was controversy-ridden.

Issues with leased land

The land which was leased out to the college could not be acquired. This is because the college management refused to part with the land inspite of the termination of the lease period. Even as the Revenue department had begun the acquisition procedure, it was found that of the total 4.67 acres of land that was leased to the college, the management had subleased part of it. Approximately 15 cents of land was subleased to Royal Gardens, a reputed residential development in the city. However, following the court intervening into the matter, Royal Gardens was forced to vacate this land. Ultimately, this land could not be utilised for developing the OCC inspite of the Ernakulam district collector personally initiating discussions on the matter.

Feasibility of present site

The Kochi Metro officials have welcomed the proposal to relocate the site for the proposed OCC to Muttom. This is because the OCC will be positioned at the centre of the Metro route, at the very end of the Aluva-Pettah route, following relocation. It is felt that the position of the OCC would be ideal even if the Metro route gets extended to the Cochin International Airport as well as to routes beyond. Moreover, since the OCC will be located away from the main road at its present site, it can be considered to be a safer option.

Impact on Realty

The shifting of the site for the proposed OCC from the sites decided earlier, first near the Ernakulam South railway station and then at a controversy-ridden site in the vicinity of the St. Albert’s college has come as a blessing in disguise as far as the realty sector is concerned. This is because it would have consumed precious land in these upmarket areas, which could otherwise have been utilised for infrastructural or residential purposes.