The construction of India’s first underwater tunnel under the Hooghly River in Kolkata, which will provide metro connectivity between Howrah and Kolkata, is currently underway and will be completed by 2023.
520 metres of the 16.6-kilometer east-west stretch will be beneath the riverbed. The tunnel corridor will connect Kolkata and Howrah and will be built 33 metres below the riverbed. Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRCL) is building the Kolkata East-West Metro line, which is an underwater tunnel that will run beneath the Hooghly river.
In an interview with ANI, Mithun Ghosh, the Site Supervisor, discussed the project’s facilities and safety measures, saying that there will be walkways in the tunnels for passenger evacuation in the event of an emergency.
“Important Passage work has also been done with the idea that if a technical problem arises inside the water tunnel area, passengers can be escorted out through the special passage,” Mithun said.
He also stated that nearly 80% of the work on the East-West Howrah Metro station has been completed, with full service expected to begin in 2023. “The station is being built at a depth of 33 metres beneath the Hooghly river. Eighty percent of the work has been completed, with the remaining twenty percent to be completed. By 2023, it will be operational,” Ghosh added.