Kanpur: The trial run for the Kanpur Metro train will be flagged off in the city by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday, an official said. The event for the trial run would be held at the Metro depot in Government Polytechnic, said District Magistrate Vishak G Ayyar. Uttar Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (UPMRC) Managing Director Kumar Keshav will apprise Adityanath about the metro project, the District Magistrate added.

The trial run which was earlier scheduled in the middle of November has been advanced, sources said. Two sets of Metro trains are already parked at the depot, and one of them would be used for trial. Each train has three coaches, said an official. Metro services are expected to be opened for the public on December 31. The 12 metro trains will run between the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and Motijheel, the official added.

The first phase of work between IIT-Kanpur and Motijheel has almost concluded, the DM said adding that the Metro train will run on a nine-kilometer-long stretch in the first phase. The second phase of Metro work would be carried out between Motijheel and Transport Nagar.

After the inauguration ceremony, the Chief Minister will hold a meeting at the Kanpur Development Authority auditorium with the district and health officials to review the efforts to deal with the Zika virus in the district, said an official. Adityanath will also visit Zika virus-affected areas to meet the family members of the persons infected by the virus to take stock of the health facilities being provided to them and the cleanliness drive in the area.

At present, there are total of 89 cases of Zika virus reported in the city. “Out of the 89 infected people, 55 are men and 34 are women. Among these, 23 are those having age below 21 years. Of the total infected people, 12 are Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel. This includes 11 men and one woman,” the district magistrate said.

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus and hence, getting rid of mosquitoes is the safe way out, the district magistrate said. To check the spread of the disease, health teams are undertaking sanitization programmes, including anti-larvae spraying and identifying fever patients, screening seriously ill people and pregnant women. Health officials have been asked to step up surveillance and ensure door-to-door sampling and testing for Zika virus.

(With PTI inputs)