Engineers will be tested while designing and building a tunnel under the Hooghly. Something of this sort has never been attempted anywhere in India. According to a DMRC official, work on this should start in the first phase rather than in the elevated section.

"KMRC will end up blocking funds and manpower in a considerably easier section. The tunnel between Mahakaran and the Hooghly will pass right under the central business district. There will be problems even if advanced tunnelling equipment are used," he said.

While the implementing agencies have already started hiring experts in civil engineering, officers feel there should be only one person in charge of the entire project.

The experts also fail to understand the logic behind the decision to appoint the general managers of Eastern and Metro Railways as directors of KMRC. "Instead of selecting people in high positions, they should have gone for people who can actually help. The GMs have little idea of the city. There are a number of other senior officers in the railways who could have done a far better job," one of them said.