INTERNATIONAL DESK: The construction of India’s first underwater tunnel in Kolkata under the Hooghly river for establishing metro connectivity between Howrah and Kolkata is underway and will be made fully functional by 2023.

Of the 16.6-km-long east-west stretch, 520 metres will be under the river bed. The tunnel corridor is built 33 meters below the riverbed and will connect Kolkata to Howrah.

The Kolkata East-West Metro line is being constructed by Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRCL) and is the underwater tunnel that will go beneath the Hooghly river.

Speaking on the facilities and safety measures being provided in the project, Mithun Ghosh, the Site Supervisor while speaking to ANI said that there will be walkways in the tunnels for evacuation of passengers in case of emergency.

“Important Passage work has also been done keeping in mind that if a technical problem arises inside the water tunnel area, passengers can be taken out through the special passage,” said Mithun.

He further said that almost 80 per cent of the work of the East-west Howrah Metro station is completed and expected that the full-fledged service may start from 2023.

“The station is being built under the Hooghly river at a depth of 33 meters. 80 per cent of work has been completed while 20 per cent is yet to be finished. It will start functioning by 2023,” Ghosh added. (ANI)