KMRL: High upkeep cost behind call to lay paver tiles on medians

Maintaining one stretch of garden costs ₹25k per month; entire stretch needs ₹8 cr annually

- Krishna Kumar K E @Kochi

As environmentalists and various political outfits have intensified their protests against Kochi Metro replacing micro gardens with concrete paver tiles on medians along the metro corridor, Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) has cited high maintenance cost—amounting to ₹8 crore per annum—for not retaining the green spaces.

"There are 400 median stretches along the Aluva-Tripunithura metro corridor and only 60 of them have sponsorships. Some of the sponsors are no longer in the picture, though their advertisements are still visible, for instance on the Banerjee Road stretch," a senior KMRL official said.