Prime Minister Narendra Modi has opened the country's first underwater metro route in Kolkata where a large crowd gathered at the Esplanade metro station to welcome him. He is also expected to visit the boiling cauldron of Sandeshkhali which has kept the state on the boil for days at end now. At the time of the inauguration, the Prime Minister was seen talking to the metro staff as well as children as he took a ride in the metro. Chants of 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Modi Modi' echoed across the metro station as supporters gathered to catch a glimpse of the prime minister.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accompanied by state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar and WB LoP and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari as he travelled in India's first underwater metro train in Kolkata.





















Stretching across a 4.8-kilometre span linking Howrah Maidan and Esplanade, this particular section stands as a crucial component of the East-West Metro corridor, facilitating connectivity to significant locales such as the Salt Lake Sector V IT hub.


Out of the total 16.6 kilometres covered by the East-West Metro, a substantial 10.8 kilometres is dedicated to an underground pathway, notably featuring the groundbreaking tunnel traversing beneath the Hooghly River.


An important milestone was achieved in April 2023, marked by the successful completion of a trial journey beneath the riverbed of the Hooghly River, traversing through a tunnel positioned 32 meters below the water surface, a pioneering feat in India.


Howver, the grant inauguration was not attended by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Prime Minister also launched metro projects cumulatively worth around Rs 15,400 crore in various cities of the country, officials told news agency PTI.