E. Sreedharan | |
---|---|
Born | Elattuvalapil Sreedharan 12 June 1932 Karukaputhur, Pattambi Taluk, Malabar District, British India (present-day Pattambi Taluk, Palakkad district Kerala, India) |
Other names | Metro Man |
Alma mater | G.L.P.S Chathanur, Government Victoria College, Palakkad, Kerala University College of Engineering, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh (JNTUK) |
Occupation | Civil engineer (retired) Politician |
Known for | Konkan Railway, Delhi Metro, Kochi Metro and other rail related developments |
Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party (2021-2021) |
Spouse | Radha Sreedharan |
Awards |
|
Elattuvalapil Sreedharan (born 12 June 1932) is an Indian engineer and politician from the Indian state of Kerala. He is credited with changing the face of public transport in India with his leadership in building the Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro while he served as the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) between 1995 and 2012. [1] Known as the Metro Man, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2001, [2] the Padma Vibhushan in 2008, [3] the Chevalier de la Legion of Honour [2] in 2005 by the Government of France and was named one of Asia's Heroes by Time magazine in 2003. [4] [5] Sreedharan was appointed by the former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to serve on the United Nations's High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport (HLAG-ST) for a period of three years in 2015. He is a member of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. [6] [7] [8] He briefly served as a national executive council member of Bharatiya Janata Party, but later quit active politics in December 2021. [9] He also worked as an advisor of Dhaka Metro authority which is called Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited under the Railway Ministry of Bangladesh. [10]
E. Sreedharan was born on 12 June 1932 in present-day Karukaputhur, Palakkad District, Kerala, India into a Hindu Malayali family [11] [12] to Keezhveettil Neelakandan Moosath and Ammaluamma. [13]
Sreedharan's primary education was from Government Lower Primary School Chathannur near Pattambi in Palakkad district. He completed his education at the Basel Evangelical Mission Higher Secondary School and then went to the Victoria College in Palghat. He later-on completed his Civil Engineering degree from the Government Engineering College, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, presently known as Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University.
E. Sreedharan and T. N. Seshan were classmates at BEM High School and Victoria College in Palakkad. Both of them were selected for Engineering in JNTU Kakinada, a university in a port town in Andhra Pradesh, however, E. Sreedharan decided to pursue it, while T. N. Seshan decided to join Madras Christian College (MCC). [14]
For a short period, Sreedharan worked as a lecturer in Civil engineering at the Government Polytechnic, Kozhikode [11] [12] and a year at the Bombay Port Trust as an apprentice. He subsequently joined the Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE), after clearing the Indian Engineering Services Exam in 1953 conducted by the UPSC. His first assignment was in the Southern Railway as a Probationary Assistant Engineer in December 1954.[ citation needed ]
In December 1964, a cyclone washed away parts of Pamban Bridge that connected Rameswaram to mainland Tamil Nadu. The Railways set a target of six months for the bridge to be repaired while Sreedharan's boss, under whose jurisdiction the bridge came, reduced it to three months. Sreedharan was put in-charge of the execution, and he restored the bridge in just 46 days. [11] [12] The Railway minister's Award was given to him in recognition of this achievement.
In 1970, as the deputy chief engineer, he was put in charge of the implementation, planning and design of the Calcutta Metro, the first ever metro in India. [11] Sreedharan not only completed this much heralded project but also laid down the foundation of modern infrastructure engineering in India. He was taken off this post in 1975. [15]
When Sreedharan joined the Cochin Shipyard in October 1979, [1] it was undergoing a phase of unproductivity. The production of its first ship MV Rani Padmini had been delayed for a long period. [15] When Sreedharan took over, he turned the fortunes of the shipyard around and made sure its first ship was built while he was its chairman and managing director (CMD). In 1981, under Sreedharan's leadership, the shipyard launched its first ship, the MV Rani Padmini. [16]
He was promoted as general manager, Western Railway in July 1987, and in July 1989 elevated to the post of Member Engineering, Railway Board and ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India. [12] On his retirement in June 1990, the Government made it clear it still needed his services and he was appointed the CMD of Konkan Railway on contract in 1990 by the then railway minister, George Fernandes. Under his stewardship, the company executed its mandate in seven years. The project was unique in many respects. It was the first major project in India to be undertaken on a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) basis; the organisation structure was different from that of a typical Indian Railway set-up; the project had 93 tunnels along a length of 82 km and involved tunnelling through soft soil. The total project covered 760 km and had over 150 bridges. That a public sector project could be completed without significant cost and time overruns was considered an achievement by many.[ who? ][ citation needed ] Konkan Railway has been covered in the Extreme Railways program by Chris Tarrant as one of the most difficult railway projects to have been constructed in the world. [17]
He was made the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation by then Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma and by mid 1997 all the scheduled sections were completed by their target date or before, and within their respective budgets. Sreedharan was given the sobriquet of Metro Man by the media for his grand success in executing the completion of the Delhi Metro. [18] His stint in the Delhi Metro has been considered so successful and crucial to India that in 2005, he was awarded the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) by the government of France, and the Padma Vibhushan by the government of India in 2008. [3] There were also demands by prominent political figures that Sreedharan be awarded the Bharat Ratna, the most prestigious civilian award in India. [19] He was particularly known for isolating his projects from political pressures and influences and winning political commitments for fast execution of projects. [20] [21] He had announced that he would retire by the end of 2005, but his tenure was further extended to oversee the completion of the second phase of Delhi Metro. After 16 years of service with the Delhi Metro, Sreedharan retired from service on 31 December 2011.
After his retirement from DMRC, Sreedharan has been appointed as Principal Advisor of the Kochi Metro Rail Project. [22] Initially, the project faced hurdles when a controversy broke out with the government announcing a global tender process for Kochi Metro, rather than letting DMRC handle the consultancy and project execution as Sreedharan and DMRC had initially asked for. [1] Vested interests in the government have been alleged in this decision. [23] However, several political parties came out in opposition of the move, and backed Sreedharan's decision in enforcing DMRC's role in the Kochi Metro, after which the government reversed its stance. [24] Kochi metro was finally unveiled on 17 June 2017 amidst much celebrations. [25] The unveiling of the metro was considered a landmark event in India in terms of completion time, control systems used and initiatives such as employing transgender people, [26] vertical gardening, respecting migrant labourers, [27] and use of solar power.
Sreedharan has also been appointed as Chief Advisor for the Lucknow Metro [28] As per E. Sreedharan, Kochi metro was built in four years whereas Lucknow Metro will be completed in a period of two years and nine months, and that would be the fastest in India and the world till now. [29]
He has been advising for the Jaipur Metro as well as DMRC has undertaken its implementation. [30] He has also been appointed as advisor for a proposed Metro rail system in Andhra Pradesh in the Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada (VGTM) areas, under the leadership of the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. [31] He has also been advisor for Coimbatore Metro.
Before joining politics, he commented on various political issues. Ahead of the 2014 Indian general election he endorsed Narendra Modi as Prime Minister and praised him for his quick decision making as Chief Minister of Gujarat. [32] When the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi announced to give free travel facility only to women passengers on buses and Metro trains, he opposed the decision and wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "personal intervention". [33] He opposed Kerala Government over a legislation which facilitate student organisational activities in all educational institutions, including private self-financing colleges. [34] He in statement said "campus politics is being encouraged by politicians and even by government leading to disruption of classes, student clashes, criminal activities such as murders, stabbing incidents etc. Unfortunately, some teachers with political leaning give mute support to such activities".
He suggested that the KMRL must reduce fare prices and called outside consultants for Kochi metro's Pettah-Thripunithura extension a "foolish act". [35] He suggested the Indian Railways to stop borrowing capital for its operations and raise fare prices. [36]
Sreedharan called India's Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train project as a "highly expensive" undertaking that caters only to the elites. [37]
On 18 February 2021, Sreedharan joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. [38] He contested in 2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election from Palakkad assembly constituency and got 35.34% of votes polled, losing to the incumbent Shafi Parambil of the Indian National Congress, who got 38.06% of votes. [39] However, Sreedharan quit active politics on 17 December 2021. [40]
Sreedharan has said he strongly opposes Hindu and Christian girls being tricked in marriage", calling it love jihad; he has also said that because he is a vegetarian, he opposes any consumption of meat. [41] [42] In a 2021 interview to The Economic Times , he stated that Narendra Modi "is probably the best PM India has had so far". [43]
A Book on Sreedharan's life is 'Karmayogi: E. Sreedharante Jeevitha Katha' (Translated: Karmayogi : The story of E. Sreedharan's life) is an authentic biography by M. S. Asokan. A short biography on E. Sreedharan was penned by P.V. Alby, named 'Jeevithavijayathinte Paadapusthakam' (translated: A Textbook on success in life). Both these books were top sellers in Kerala during the time Sreedharan took up his post on the Kochi Metro project as Delhi Metro Rail Corporation's principal advisor. [57] Another book on Sreedharan is "India's Railway Man - A biography of Dr. E Sreedharan" by Rajendra B Aklekar. [58]
In another international book "マダム、これが俺たちのメトロだ" (Trans: Madam, this is our Metro) written by a female Japanese Civil Engineer Abe Reiko, who was closely associate with the DMRC project, praised Sreedharan for his far-farsightedness and strong determination.[ citation needed ]
Sreedharan's wife is Radha Sreedharan. His daughter is Shanthi Menon, principal of the Deens Academy, Bangalore.
Anil Kakodkar, is an Indian nuclear physicist and mechanical engineer. He was the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India and the Secretary to the Government of India, he was the Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay from 1996 to 2000. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, on 26 January 2009.
Aluva is an eastern suburb of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. It is a part of the Kochi metropolitan area and is situated around 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city centre on the banks of Periyar River. A major transportation hub, with easy access to all major forms of transportation, Aluva acts as a corridor which links the highland districts to the rest of Kerala. Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery is 11.7 km from Aluva. Aluva is accessible through rail, air, metro along with major highways and roadlines. Aluva KSRTC bus station is an important transport hub in Kerala and one of the busiest stations in central part of the state.
P. Parameswaran, often referred to as Parameswarji, was a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak from Kerala, India who was erstwhile Vice‑President of the Jan Sangh.
Ernakulam is the central business district of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is the namesake of Ernakulam district. The eastern part of Kochi city is mainly known as Ernakulam, while the western part of it after the Venduruthy Bridge is called as Western Kochi. Many major establishments, including the Kerala High Court, the office of the Kochi Municipal Corporation and the Cochin Shipyard are situated in Ernakulam. It is also the most urbanized area in the city of Kochi.
The Engineering Services Examination (ESE) is an annual combined standardized exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit officers to various engineering services under the Government of India. It is held in four categories: Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, and Electronics & Telecommunication. The exam has three stages comprising objective, subjective and personality tests. The various services are often informally known as Indian Engineering Services (IES).
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is a centre-state joint venture that operates the Delhi Metro and Noida Metro. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is also involved in the planning and implementation of metro rail, monorail, and high-speed rail projects in India, and abroad. The work of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is fragmented into various parts which are controlled by directors under the direction of a managing director.
The Kochi Metro is a rapid transit system serving the city of Kochi and the wider Kochi Metropolitan Region in Kerala, India. It was opened to the public within four years of starting construction, making it one of the fastest completed metro projects in India. The Kochi metro project is the first metro system in the country which connects rail, road and water transport facilities. It is also the first metro rail system in India to be operated using the Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system, which requires minimum human intervention. The Kochi Water Metro is integrated with the Kochi Metro, which also serves as a feeder service to the suburbs along the rivers where transport accessibility is limited.
Urban rail transit in India plays an important role in intracity transportation in the major cities which are highly populated. It consists of rapid transit, suburban rail, monorail, and tram systems.
The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit system which serves Delhi and its adjoining satellite cities, such as Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram, Noida and Bahadurgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The system consists of 10 colour-coded lines serving 256 stations, with a total length of 350.42 kilometres (217.74 mi). It is India's largest and busiest metro rail system and the second-oldest, after the Kolkata Metro. The metro has a mix of underground, at-grade, and elevated stations using broad-gauge and standard-gauge tracks. The metro makes over 4,300 trips daily.
Thiruvananthapuram Metro is a proposed rapid transit system in the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, is all set to have its metro system. Earlier, there was a plan to build a light metro system in the city. However, the plan was later changed to a conventional metro system.
Kozhikode Light Metro is a proposed Light Metro system for the city of Kozhikode (Calicut), in India. In 2010, the State government explored the possibility of implementing a metro rail project for Kozhikode city and its suburbs. The proposal was to have a corridor connecting Meenchanda to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital through the heart of the city. An inception report was submitted by a Bangalore-based consultant, Wilber Smith, on the detailed feasibility study on the prospect of implementing the Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) and Light Rail Transit System (LRTS) in the city. However, the project has been scrapped to be replaced by Kozhikode Monorail project.
The Silver Line is a proposed higher-speed rail line in India that would connect Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city, and Kasaragod of Kerala state. It will have an operating speed of 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph), Maximum Design Speed: 220 km/h (140 mph), structures designed for 250 km/h (160 mph) allowing trains to cover the 532-kilometre (331 mi) distance in less than four hours, compared to the present 10 to 12 hours it takes to traverse this distance. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Kochi, Thrissur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod will be the stations in this corridor. The project is temporarily halted by the state government till the Central government approval.
Dr. Mangu Singh was the Managing Director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, He took over after Dr.E. Sreedharan, the former managing director, retired from service on 31 December 2011, he retired on 31st March 2022, succeeded by Vikas Kumar. He is an Indian Railways Service of Engineers (IRSE) officer of the 1981 batch.
The Bhubaneswar Metro is a rapid transit system which is under construction for Bhubaneswar in Odisha, India. In the first phase, a 30 km (19 mi) metro trunk route will be created from Trisulia near Cuttack to the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar. Plans are in place to eventually expand to Khordha and Puri.
The Srinagar Metro is a light rail transit planned for the city of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. The plans for the Srinagar Metro have been finalised with the work expected to start once the project gets nod from union cabinet. The proposed network will have two corridors. Each corridor of Srinagar metro will have 12 stations each with the total cost expected to be ₹5,559 crore.
Vijayawada Metro is proposed light rail transit system in the Indian city of Vijayawada. The system is proposed to reduce traffic congestion in the city and consists three corridors which will be constructed in 3 Phases. Phase-I will be covering 24.5 kilometres (15.2 mi), phase-ll will cover 12.5 kilometres (7.8 mi) and phase-lll will cover 28 kilometres (17 mi). The project is estimated to cost approximately ₹15,000 crore or 1.7 billion USD. It was proposed in the form of a light metro which would consist of 3 coaches.
The Ernakulam–Kottayam–Kayamkulam line is a railway line which runs through the districts of Ernakulam, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha in Kerala state of India. This railway line starts as a branch line from Ernakulam Town railway station towards Kottayam and joins with the Ernakulam–Kayamkulam coastal line route via Alappuzha at Kayamkulam Junction. This line comes under the Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway Zone of Indian Railways. The line has a total distance of 118 km (73 mi). The Ernakulam Town/Ernakulam Junction - Kottayam section opened in 1956-57 and Kottayam - Kollam section in 1957.
Satyanarayansinh Shivsinh Rathore is an Indian civil engineer. He belongs to the royal family of Valasna State. He is popularly known as the “highway and canal man of Gujarat”.
Palarivattom Flyover is considered to be one of the most notorious scams in the history of Kerala Public Works Department. The scam exposed the alleged nexus between politicians, bureaucracy and contractors.
Dr. Krishna Ella is an Indian scientist and entrepreneur. He is the founder and Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech. Ella and his company were responsible for developing India's own COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, World's 1st clinically proven conjugated Typhoid Vaccine, TypbarTCV and ROTAVAC.
{{cite news}}
: Check |url=
value (help)