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The main challenge in starting the Thiruvananthapuram Metro is the city's low population. As per the central government's metro policy, a city must have at least 20 lakh people to qualify for a metro project. But according to the 2011 Census, Thiruvananthapuram has only 16.79 lakh people. The population within
the city and nearby areas is just 7.88 lakh. The metro project document estimates the population at 13.5 lakh, but this count is only for the 371.94 sq km area that includes the proposed metro route.
Rejection of Detailed Project Report
Recently, the central government rejected the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for metro projects in Coimbatore and Madurai for the same reason; both cities failed to meet the minimum 20 lakh population requirement. The 2011 Census shows Coimbatore has 15.84 lakh people, while Madurai has 14.7 lakh.
Thiruvananthapuram Metro Project
Considering this, changes must be made to the Thiruvananthapuram metro project document prepared by Kochi Metro. Usually, metro project reports in other cities include population data from a larger surrounding area, about 500 to 900 sq km. If similar changes are made here, the project will stand a better chance of getting approval.
At present, the estimated total population of the Thiruvananthapuram region is around 33 lakh, and the city is densely populated. The proposed metro line will run from Pappanamcode to Eanchakkal and can be extended further to Neyyattinkara or Attingal later. If more regions are added to the project area, the metro project can meet the required 20 lakh population limit.
The DMRC's 2014 light metro report also noted that Thiruvananthapuram's population has been growing at 3% every year. This growth rate should also be included in the revised DPR. There are also exceptions; metros have been approved for some state capitals even without a 20 lakh population, such as Patna (17 lakh) and Bhopal (18.8 lakh).
