Kochi Water Metro ferries berthed at the High Court terminal. As it steps into its third year, the Water Metro is set to expand its operations both within Kerala and across India.

The fleet of 19 air conditioned hybrid-electric Water Metro ferries that are operating in Kochi transported a total of 4 million commuters across 10 terminals in the Greater Kochi area, during the past two years.

They were from among the twenty-three 100-passenger ferries for which Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) had placed an order with Cochin Shipyard. This first-of-its-kind water transport system in India that aims to introduce 78 ferries in the Greater Kochi area in a phased manner is being implemented by the Kerala government. It was officially launched on April 25, 2023.

As it steps into its third year, the Water Metro is set to expand its operations both within Kerala and across India. The project had won the Gussies Electric Boat Award-2022 in the commercial ferry category and the Skoch Award for excellence in offering services to the public in the transport sector. The Union government had plans to probe the feasibility of replicating the model in 21 locations across the country, said a KMRL release.

The agency’s MD, Loknath Behera, hoped that the system of water transport would bring in sustainability and affordability in public transport and help decongest roads.

A feasibility study to implement the Water Metro project in Mumbai has been submitted to the Maharashtra government by KMRL. The agency was also asked to conduct feasibility studies to implement the Water Metro system in 21 urban centers across 11 States and two Union Territories, it said.

Hyderabad: Stating that the damage to the raft and piers of block 7 of the Medigadda barrage of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) are irreversible, National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has recommended that the Telangana govt should not use the (block 7) structures for the operation of gates again. They may be safely disposed of or stabilised, in situ, based on the experience of the executing agency.
NSDA also said while carrying out the works, the adjacent blocks should not be damaged in any manner.
On Annaram and Sundilla, which have also developed structural issues, the NDSA said the two barrages have also experienced distress conditions and damages “rendering them unserviceable” and were also vulnerable. “All three barrages need to be thoroughly and entirely investigated from all angles,” NDSA added.
The NDSA committee, led by J Chandrashekhar Iyer and member secretary Amitabh Meena, along with other members, investigated sinking of some piers of block 7 of the Medigadda barrage and problems in the Annaram and Sundilla barrages. They submitted a 365-page report to the Union ministry of jal shakti in Dec last, which has been sent to the Telangana govt for further action.
Three piers were completely damaged, while some others were partially affected in block 7 of Medigadda in Oct 2023. The NDSA submitted its preliminary report last year, and now the final report was submitted. The Justice PC Ghose’s one-man commission was also waiting for the report.
Regarding the reasons for the sinking of piers in Medigadda and other barrages, NDSA, in its report, stated that the sand piping phenomenon, cavity formation underneath the raft, construction defects, design deficiencies, structural distress, and other downstream damages experienced by block 7 rendered it unserviceable. These issues could manifest in other blocks of the Medigadda barrage as well. The committee noted that the geophysical investigation report reveals that cavities underneath the raft had formed not only in block 7 but also in other blocks.
“The damages to block 7 have resulted in the barrage becoming non-functional for diverting water. Even the bridge that spanned over it has become non-functional. Since this block is not the first or last block of the barrage, the movement of the gantry crane over the whole barrage width has also been stopped. Due to such sinking, not only has block 7 suffered irreversible damages, but its safe removal would also pose challenges as it may cause damage to adjacent blocks,” the report stated.
The committee mentioned that the flexible protection works of the barrage, such as CC blocks and the launching apron in the downstream, have either settled, been damaged, dislodged, or washed far away at many locations along the length of the barrage.
“The rehabilitation design should comprehensively assess the health and safety of the entire Medigadda barrage and the two other barrages. The design should consider and address all the deficiencies, whether they be geotechnical, hydrological, hydraulic, or structural aspects. Geotechnical investigations should be carried out as required for the entire barrage,” the report stated.
Regarding the two other barrages, NDSA said, “The two upstream barrages, Annaram and Sundilla, which have similar deficiencies in design and construction, have also experienced distress conditions and damages rendering them unserviceable, and are also vulnerable. All three barrages need to be thoroughly and entirely investigated from all angles,” NDSA said.

Cleared – mani
Chennai: Tamil Nadu recorded a sharp decline in the number of murders and violent crimes, with the state witnessing its lowest number of homicides in over a decade.
According to statistics released by the state DGP’s office on Thursday, in 2024 there were 1,563 murders, which was the least reported in the past 12 years. The downward trend continued into 2025, with 340 murders being registered in the first quarter (between Jan and March), as compared to 352 during the same period last year.
A key contributor to this reduction was the effective containment of rowdy-related murders, which hit a six-year low in 2024, it said. Police credit this to a multi-layered enforcement strategy that combined preventive detention, focused surveillance, and trial-level interventions.
Also, the Tamil Nadu police detained a record 3,645 history-sheeters under preventive detentionst in 2024. This aggressive approach marked a sharp rise from the 1,929 detentions in 2019 and surpassed the numbers recorded in 2022 and 2023.
The department also undertook a detailed re-categorisation of rowdy elements based on their current activity, reducing the number of high-risk A-plus category and A-category offenders by over 50%. This enabled officers to narrow their focus on the most dangerous individuals, the statement said.
The increased vigilance inside prisons, where conspiracies for revenge killings are often hatched helped preempt several planned murders.
In 2024, police secured at least 242 convictions, including 10-year or more jail term for 150 individuals, it said, adding that this rate is the highest in the past 12 years.
Also, for the first time, police are systematically working to dismantle the financial networks that support organised crime. Forty-one notorious individuals were identified for financial probes, it said.
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