ELATTUVALAPIL SREEDHARAN: JOURNEY OF INDIA’S METRO MAN

Author: Vaibhav Goyal, IV Year of B.A.,LL.B(Hons), from University Institute of Legal Studies, Panjab University (SSGRC, HSP.), Chandigarh.

Sreedharan is prevalently known as the Metro Man for his noteworthy work in changing public vehicles in India, especially his work with Delhi Metro just as being behind the improvement of the Konkan Rail lines.

He is a retired official of the Indian Engineering Services and guided to several Metro projects in India. He was a member of the United Nations' High-Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport.

Sreedharan was born in 1932 in Karukaputhur, Madras Presidency, presently in Kerala. He sought after his advanced education at the Victoria School in Palghat. A while later, Sreedharan finished a degree in civil engineering from the Government Engineering College, referred to now as JNTUK, in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.

He has gotten various public and worldwide distinctions for his work in changing the manner individuals drive. He was granted the Padma Shri in 2001 and congratulated with the Padma Vibhushan in 2008. He was granted the French government's Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 2005 and he was additionally named as one of Asia's Saints in 2003 by TIME magazine. In 2013, the public authority of Japan granted him the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star.

His vocation began in the scholarly world. He began as a lecturer of civil engineering at the Public authority Polytechnic, Kozhikode. At that point, he joined the Bombay Port Trust as a disciple.

Sreedharan at that point cleared the Indian Engineering Services Test in 1953 and joined the Southern Railways in December 1954.

Sreedharan climbed the stepping stool in the Rail routes because of his ingenious methods of handling issues and was appropriately perceived for it. In 1964, after a twister washed away a scaffold, he finished the reclamation work of the bridge in 46 days as against the half-year target set by the Railways.

Somewhere in the range of 1970 and 1975, he was responsible for arranging, planning, and actualizing the Kolkata Metro project. This was perhaps the most innovatively progressed project embraced in India in the public vehicle field. Somewhere in the range of 1979 and 1981, he was responsible for the Cochin Shipyard Limited and was instrumental behind its turnaround.

He retired from a government job in 1990 as the Member Engineering, Railway Board, and ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India. In any case, the public authority kept him in agreement as it believed it required him. He at that point initiated the Konkan Rail route project which was a Build-Operate-Transfer model and, as indicated by its temperament, it is viewed as perhaps the most troublesome Railways projects on the planet. He at that point took up the undertaking of building up the Delhi Metro project.

In a range of 18 years, under his authority, Delhi Metro changed the essence of the public vehicle in Delhi and the NCR locale. It finished segments consistently before the target and is one of the handfuls of Metro projects on the planet that have run in benefits and have had the option to move huge populations from roads to the Metro. After 2011, he was an advisor to Kochi Metro, Jaipur Metro, Lucknow Metro, Coimbatore Metro, and proposed projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.

A Book on Sreedharan's life is 'Karmayogi: E. Sreedharante Jeevitha Katha' (Deciphered: Karmayogi: The account of E. Sreedharan's life) is a credible life story by M. S. Asokan. A short account on E. Sreedharan was written by P.V. Alby, named 'Jeevithavijayathinte Paadapusthakam' (deciphered: A Textbook on accomplishment throughout everyday life). Both these books were top dealers in Kerala during the time Sreedharan took up his post on the Kochi Metro project as Delhi Metro Rail Enterprise's head advisor. Another book on Dr. E Sreedharan is " India's rail line man-A history of Dr. E Sreedharan " by Rajendra B Aklekar. This book has been embraced by Dr. Sreedharan and incorporates a marked note from him.

In one of another global book "マダム、これが俺たちのメトロだ” (Trans: Madam, this is our Metro) composed by a female Japanese Structural Architect Abe Reiko, who was intently partner with the DMRC project, commended Sreedharan for his far-farsightedness and solid assurance.

Sreedharan,88, has chosen to join the BJP on its invite. He hopes to challenge the assembly polls. Be not sure as to whether Sreedharan will be given a Lok Sabha ticket, considering BJP's choice not to give Lok Sabha tickets to those who pass over 75 years old. This standard was recently applied to BJP veterans like L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.

LDF and UDF have taken a turn to administer Kerala, while BJP oversees the Centre. Political clashes have negatively affected the state's turn of events, he claimed. "I feel there is a solid possibility of the BJP shaping the public authority in Kerala this time. "With the BJP at the Centre, a BJP government in the state will encourage the state's overall development."

References:

'Metro Man' E Sreedharan: Credited With Changing Face of Indian Public Transport, Meet BJP's Latest Addition, News 18, February 18, 2021

'Metro Man' Sreedharan to Join BJP Ahead of Kerala Assembly Polls, The Wire, February 18, 2021